Crimean Karaim Activist Forcefully Committed to Psychiatric Facility

In Crimea, a region currently under occupation, the human rights initiative 'Tribunal. Crimean Episode' has disclosed that Karaim activist Sakha Mangubi has been forcibly placed in a psychiatric facility. This information was relayed by Ukrinform, noting that due to her hospitalization, the woman was unable to attend a scheduled court hearing regarding the extension of her preventive measure.

Human rights defenders have emphasized that such actions violate even Russian legislation, let alone international norms, which mandate access to fair judicial proceedings for residents of occupied territories. This situation has sparked significant concern among human rights organizations, which view these actions as gross violations of human rights.

Sakha Mangubi was abducted by Russian security forces directly from her home and has been held in pre-trial detention center No. 2 in Simferopol for over a year under conditions of complete isolation, without any charges being presented against her. The police refused to open a case regarding her abduction, and the FSB denied any knowledge of the activist's detention. It was only in February 2025 that it became known that the woman had officially been charged with treason, further underscoring the severity of her situation.

Human rights advocates have pointed out that the placement of individuals without legitimate grounds into general facilities with mentally ill persons could be classified as cruel treatment. If intent is proven, it may be regarded as torture. Both actions are considered war crimes, for which both investigators and participants in psychiatric examinations could be held accountable. This opens the possibility for them to face justice in The Hague or other venues of the International Tribunal.

Sakha Mangubi has become the first representative of the Karaim people to experience such severe political persecution by the occupying authorities. Her case is drawing international attention to the human rights situation in Crimea, where activists and representatives of national minorities face repression and persecution.

Human rights defenders are urging the international community to pay attention to the human rights violations occurring in Crimea and to take measures to protect activists fighting for their rights and freedoms. They also stress the necessity of ensuring access to fair judicial processes for all residents of occupied territories.

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