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The court found him guilty of disobeying the police (Article 19.3, Part 1 of the Administrative Offences Code) during a search that took place at his home on the night of 23 October, reports “Crimean Solidarity.”

“Some police lieutenant wrote a statement about Sasha. They took him away. I packed a bag for him, as much as I managed. They were rushing, getting nervous that it was taking too long to pack,” said Sizikov’s mother.

According to lawyer Emil Kuberdinov, the Crimean did not admit guilt: “[Sizikov] said that he did not resist, he did not refuse to go, he was just packing his things.”

The Crimean was taken to the police station without a guardian, and he did not know what protocols were being drawn up against him. The police also failed to indicate that he has a disability and did not allow him to bring the relevant certificate to court.

Recently, the court overturned the decision to release Sizikov from prison on health grounds. The lawyer believes he will be transferred back to prison from the Bakhchisaray temporary detention centre (IVS).

  • In May 2024, Sizikov was sentenced to 17 years in prison on charges of organising terrorist activities (Article 205.5, Part 1 of the Criminal Code) and preparing to seize power (Article 278 with Article 30, Part 1 of the Criminal Code).
  • According to the version of the security forces, he organised a cell of the Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir in Bakhchisaray, a historic city in Crimea. Among the evidence were books found by the security forces under Sizikov’s grandmother’s mattress. However, he could not have read these books, as they did not use Braille. Sizikov’s mother maintains that the books were planted by the security forces.
  • Hizb ut-Tahrir is designated as a terrorist organisation in Russia. Human rights groups have repeatedly drawn attention to the unjustified nature of this status.