The Public Monitoring Commission in Crimea is covering up torture and crimes against journalists – Vladyslav Yesypenko exposing

In a material by the ZMINA Human Rights Center, journalist and former political prisoner Vladyslav Yesypenko exposes the criminal attitude towards his duties of Andrey Kozar, who in Crimea heads the Public Monitoring Commission – a body created to monitor the observance of human rights in places of deprivation of liberty: pre-trial detention centers, colonies, prisons, temporary detention centers, etc.

However, he claims from his own experience that Kozar’s real work consists in creating a “positive background” around pre-trial detention centers and colonies of the occupied peninsula, and in covering up the crimes of the occupation regime against prisoners, including journalists.

Vladyslav Yesypenko provides evidence: “In 2021, during a visit to Remand Prison-1, he (Kozar – author) entered the cell where I was sitting with a group of employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service, which was illegally established in Crimea, who filmed everything. When I stated about the systematic torture of prisoners, he calmly replied that this was slander and “there is no need to slander.” It turns out that Kozar “did not see” during his inspections of Crimean places of detention the terrible conditions of detention and torture – complete disregard for overcrowded cells, when cells designed for 12 people contained at least 20 prisoners. “He was never concerned about torture: he did not pay attention to direct statements about the systematic torture of prisoners at all, and in his reports he wrote that “the conditions meet the standards” and the complaints “are not confirmed.”

Andrey Kozar

In 2022, the Remand Prison-1 in Simferopol was packed to the brim with Ukrainian prisoners of war, who were systematically beaten and tasered. Kozar again “did not notice anything.” This is evidenced, in particular, by the annual report of the PMC for 2022, which covers the period of mass detention of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian hostages and in which these conditions are called “compliant with the norms.”

Kozar “did not see” any deaths due to lack of medical care.

Kozar has been providing media cover for the atrocities of the occupiers for several years in a row. Vladyslav Yesypenko cites high-profile cases when the commission reports on Crimea ignored blatant violations of the rights of political prisoners. This concerns citizen journalist Iryna Danylovych. Due to the lack of medical care in Remand Prison-1 in Simferopol, her health condition deteriorated critically; she suffered otitis media and a stroke, completely lost hearing in her left ear, and constantly experiences severe migraines. Despite the commission’s official statements about “satisfactory conditions,” Iryna’s father repeatedly emphasized that Kozar personally knew about her illness.

Political prisoner Tofik Abdulgaziev developed tuberculosis while in prison, lost more than 30 kg, and fell into a coma. At the same time, the open public reports of the occupation Public Monitoring Commission of Crimea (GMC), headed by Andrey Kozar, do not contain any mention of Tofik Abdulgaziev’s critical health or torture. Lawyers call this a systematic disregard by the “monitors” led by Kozar.

Citizen journalist Amet Suleymanov is a person who is disabled due to critical heart failure and who is prohibited from being detained even under russian law. During Suleymanov’s stay in Remand Prison-1, the State Committee for the Prevention of Corruption under Kozar’s leadership did not initiate his transfer to a hospital, despite the real threat to his life.

Political prisoners Servet Gaziev and Oleksandr Sizikov are seriously ill political prisoners. Gaziev suffered a micro-stroke, and Sizikov is disabled due to vision loss. The commission usually reports on the “availability of medication,” although independent lawyers claim that prisoners do not receive even basic care.

Vladyslav Yesypenko, a journalist and former political prisoner, claims: “As we can see, Andrey Kozar, by his actions and inaction, actually contributed to the torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian political prisoners. Illegally convicted. At the same time, as of June 2026, Andrey Kozar is still not under any sanctions from either Ukraine or foreign partners.”

NUJU Information Service