A month ago Halyna DOVHOPOLA turned 70, she has been in russian captivity for six years now. Russians convicted the retired woman from Sevastopol of “state treason”. According to the occupying investigation, DOVHOPOLA cooperated with the Main Department of the Intelligence of Ukraine and collected “information on the separate aviation regiment of the Black Fleet”.
DOVHOPOLA is one of the first women, defendants of the politically motivated case under the Article concerned. There is no much information about Mrs. Halyna, the court hearings were held behind the closed doors. After she had been transported to Moscow, for quite a long time the Ukrainian consul was not allowed to see her, now the letters from her are occasional. The editorial team “Suspilne Krym” compiled an information on the “case” of the political prisoner using what the human rights defenders said and the pieces of her letters.
The retired woman, convicted of espionage
Halyna DOVHOPOLA was born in Bakhchisaray, then she lived in Sevastopol. In 2014, after the occupation of Crimea, in her comment to “Gordon” edition the woman informed she had run a little business – rented out her accommodation to the holidaymakers during the tourist season. Her daughter ran the newsstand where in 2014 the Ukrainian press was sold. Being threatened by the russians, her daughter and her grandson left Crimea, and Mrs. Halyna stayed as she could not leave her house.
On 27 November 2019 the FSB officers came to her house, 64-year old Halyna DOVHOPOLA was apprehended. She was convicted of the cooperation with the Ukrainian intelligence. According to the occupying investigation she reported on the secret information about the units of the Black Fleet of russia. In one of her letters the woman depicted the moment of her apprehension, later JAMALA, the Ukrainian singer of the Crimea Tatar descent, read it out within the initiative “Letters to free Crimea”.
“ Like “a devil out of a snuffbox”, a man in black jumps on me: a masked cap with a slit for eyes and the FSB insignia. As he was almost hanging on me, I straightened up and said: ‘Why are you hanging on me if I’m standing still?’ He stayed by my side, and at the same time I heard the screeching of the brakes of the several cars. A bunch of people poured out of each one. I tried to find out who they were. They answered me: FSB. I could see it myself, it was the FSB. Someone suggested me to go to the ‘loaf’ [UAZ car]. I went smiling, without any resistance. At the moment of getting into the “raf” [car], [the officer] reminded of the handcuffs, clicked them on my hands and in the car I asked again: ‘What am I being detained for?’- Jamala recited the letter.”
Classified trial and spurious charges
The case-file was immediately classified, the court hearings were held behind the closed doors. The Ukrainian human rights defenders urged on numerous violations.
“First of all it is about the phone which was seized while the search at Halyna’s dwelling. It is clear that there are no guarantees who used the phone, which information was found thereon and who put the information there. The second point is about witnesses who testified and acknowledged their cooperation with the FSB. There were russian military men among them. The court referred to Halyna’s political stance – that since 2014 Halyna had been against “joining of Sevastopol with russia” which confirmed the political reason behind the persecution. The third point is typically propaganda narrative: allegedly the meetings with the supervisors took place in Lviv which automatically meant [the supervisors] were “Banderites”. This is a classical scheme for the cases of the kind”, – Olha SKRYPNYK, the Head of the Crimean Human Rights Group, states.
Olha adds she knows the cases against other women sentenced after 2022 and noticed the trend of trumping up the case-files by the russian law enforcers.
“It has become absurd. The women are convicted of storage of weaponry in the forests they have never been to. The FSB record the staged videos, although it is evident the woman does not know the ground. All this implies the Article on state treason as it is easy to apply. Halyna, for instance, was convicted for intention to transfer to the Security Service of Ukraine the data which would not be open for many FSB officers. That information could be open for the top officers of the military unit at the very least who might know the data incriminated to Halyna by the russian court. The FSB claimed that since 2015 Halyna allegedly cooperated with the Main Department of Intelligence. And later at the court hearings it was mentioned that Halyna communicated with the Security Service of Ukraine, that is a total mess, even while naming the Ukrainian agencies”, – Mrs. SKRYPNYK lays out the discrepancies of the case of DOVHOPOLA.
Besides, the human rights defenders stated about numerous violations while case “consideration” by the russian court: the impediment to right for defense, pressure put on the suspect, neglecting of the international norms.
“[I] was detained in total isolation ”
On 29 March 2021 the Sevastopol city court, controlled by russia, sentenced 66-year old Halyna DOVHOPOLA to 12 years of the colony of the general regime and a year of the administrative survey after the liberation. The sentence was passed by the judge Igor KOZHEVNIKOV, the citizen of russia, who had worked at the Zadniprovsky district court of the russian city of Smolensk. Before he had headed the panel of “judges” who had considered the notorious politically motivated case against “Ukrainian saboteurs” Volodymyr DUDKA and Oleksiy BESSARABOV. Once sentenced, Halyna DOVHOPOLA was transported to SIZO “Lefortovo” in Moscow. Halyna briefly informed on the time spent there in her letter to Oleh SENTSOV, the film director, ex political prisoner, who now is in the armed forces [of Ukraine].
“ Glory to Ukraine!
Dear beloved Ukraine! Dear Oleh!
I am DOVHOPOLA Halyna Pavlivna, born on 27 March 1955, a fourth generation native of Crimea. I am the national of Ukraine which is confirmed by all russian courts’ rulings in the “case”.
Oleh, when I was brought to Lefortovo and finally left alone in the cell, I, frankly speaking, was thinking of you and all ours [detainees] who endured the hell circles in prisons of russia. Later on, there, in Lefortovo, I heard the respectful feedbacks on the Ukrainian navals [24 Ukrainian military navals, PoWs, captive by russia on 25 November 2018, when three vessels of the Ukrainian Navy were on their way from the Black Sea to Azov Sea. In the Kerch Strait area they were stopped by the russian tanker which blocked the passage under the Kerch bridge built by the occupation authorities, and later the crews of the three ships were taken prisoners]. By the way, they are still called nothing but ‘Ukrainian sailors’ there. Please send them our greetings. I did my best in order not to be shame for my [beloved] Ukraine. I was held in total isolation. The consul of Ukraine was not allowed after all, despite I asked for a minute speechless visit. Nevertheless, despite this all, I knew that under no circumstances I would renounce and betray Ukraine. Dear Oleh, to date the show called “appeal proceedings” is over. Shortly I will be transported elsewhere and what is left for me would be the contact with consulate of Ukraine in Moscow, as it used to be.
If I survive (don’t forget my age), my way would be back to Ukraine [mainland] only, I don’t want to be back to Crimea though, I can’t stand it rotting now. I watch the TV news, I am critical. My dear, the Normand format is closer. Please remind Z.V. [the President] to work on the swap. Our captives harbour hopes. I promise to be active on my side in favour of Ukraine. I am summing up. I will do my best to survive. Take care of you and beloved Ukraine! My greetings to KOLCHENKO, BALUKH,PANOV and all my friends on FB, my nick is AleksSevast. Don’t forget us. Halyna P. I serve the people of Ukraine.”, – Halyna wrote in her letter.
The letter by Mrs. Halyna had been posted by Oleh on his Facebook page three months prior to the full-scale invasion of russia into Ukraine.
Life in colony and fight without [support of] relatives
In September 2021 Halyna DOVHOPOLA was transported from Lefortovo to the penitentiary no.1 in the city of Golovino, Vladimir region of the RF. As Olha SKRYPNYK is informed, the political prisoner is still there. There is not much information on the conditions of detention and on Mrs. Halyna too. It is known that 70-year old woman suffers from the chronical diseases of the spine and hyper tension. In detention gastritis developed, and while deportation to the russian prison her toes froze. Olha SKRYPNYK adds that [the CHRG] has the recorded facts that Halyna DOVHOPOLA starved in the colony: she got meal once per day and she was recommended to “buy other food” in the shop of the colony. For some time she had no money on her card up until [we] managed to pass them.
‘Evidently, the harsh climate here is detrimental to my health. I walk with a stick, with my back bent and sideways. But I try not to whine. This is the fourth winter here,’ DOVHOPOLA writes in one of her letters to Kateryna, the wife of the political prisoner Vladyslav YESYPENKO.
The story of Halyna DOVHOPOLA is the case of the political prisoner when no relatives join their efforts with the human rights community in the fight for deliberation of Halyna. Olha SKRYPNYK shares her experience of working with cases of the kind.
“With no relatives involved, some options [of fight for deliberation] are complicated, for instance, when it comes to applying to the state authorities, getting certain information”, – she notes.
In such cases it is important to have alternative public support, in particular, through mentoring programmes, when famous people take prisoners under their care.
“To have public figures, diplomats, politicians involved in mentoring, for example, women in captivity, [would be important]. And if these are international mentors. Before [the HRD] can fight for someone in particular, [the HRD] has to communicate the information that such a problem does exist. It’s especially difficult to explain when a person is accused of espionage or terrorism – it scares [mentors] away, sometimes even diplomats. Let’s imagine a diplomat who just got a position, well, a year ago, and is asked: ‘Would you defend a woman who is accused of terrorism’. The first reaction would be to refuse. No relatives involved complicates this process even more, because there is no emotional, living voice,’– SKRYPNYK adds.
Mrs. SKRYPNYK explains there is no universal strategy in the cases of the kind, and claims- sometimes no publicity helps, sometimes publicity helps. The main task is not to harm the captive.
Halyna DOVHOPOLA is one of the first women convicted by russians under the charge of “state treason”, who sentenced to long term of imprisonment: 12 years. The HRDs maintain that the case against her was a typical example of the spurious charge against an elderly woman. To date, Olha SKRYPNYK states, the charge of “state treason” is almost common practice by russian law enforcement structures, in particular, for criminal proceedings against women.
“There are too many cases of women, it is a whole trend which expanded in 2024 at least’, SKRYPNYK states.
Mrs. SKRYPNYK claims that “the case” of DOVHOPOLA has become a kind of precedential, further used in new cases. As per the Crimean Human Rights Group at least 264 persons are behind bars for the political reasons. About two dozen of them are women.
