logo
Crimean Tatar Rustem Virati dies in Russian penal colony

Crimean Tatar Rustem Virati dies in Russian penal colony

Yahoo13-03-2025

Rustem Virati, a 60-year-old Crimean Tatar who was imprisoned by the Russians for eight years, has died in a penal colony in the city of Dmitrovgrad, Russia's Ulyanovsk Oblast.
Source: Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, on Telegram; Crimean Tatar Resource Centre
Details: The report says that Rustem Virati is a resident of the Henichesk district of Kherson Oblast, which is currently occupied by Russia, who was detained by the Russians in the spring of 2023 after numerous searches in his house.
"He was accused of assisting the economic blockade of Crimea, which began in 2015, and of participating in the Crimean Tatar battalion named after Noman Chelebidzhikhan," Chubarov wrote.
Chubarov said that after his arrest, Rustem Virati was subjected to numerous tortures and severely beaten. All court hearings were held in closed session. After the sentence of eight years of strict regime, Virati was first taken to Ufa and then to the penal colony in the city of Dmitrovgrad, Ulyanovsk Oblast, from where the news of his death came.
The family members learned of Rustem Virati's death on 10 February 2025, but the exact date and cause of death have not yet been established. Rustem Virati is survived by his wife and three adult children.
The Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people expressed their sincere condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased.
Background: Earlier, the Crimean Solidarity NGO reported that Crimean Tatar human rights activist Riza Izetov, sentenced to 19 years, complained about the harsh conditions of detention in the Yakutsk colony, where he was repeatedly punished with disciplinary punishments.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

As Russia inches closer to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, new Ukrainian region might soon be at war
As Russia inches closer to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, new Ukrainian region might soon be at war

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

As Russia inches closer to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, new Ukrainian region might soon be at war

Moscow said its troops had crossed into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and were conducting offensive operations in the region, a claim Kyiv quickly denied as 'Russian disinformation.' Russian troops have been pushing toward Dnipropetrovsk Oblast for months, trying to solidify the southern flank to capture Pokrovsk and the remaining parts of the adjacent Donetsk Oblast. Western military experts who spoke to the Kyiv Independent said it was clear that Russian troops would eventually penetrate the southeastern region. But they didn't expect either side to throw 'a significant amount of forces' in this sector, as the capture of Donetsk Oblast remains Moscow's main objective. Emil Kastehelmi, an analyst at the Finland-based Black Bird Group, confirmed that geolocation shows Russian troops entered Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in recent days. Russian troops will likely advance 'at least somewhat' deeper in the coming months, though it won't change the overall dynamic of the front line, he added. Kastehelmi believes that Russian troops could try advancing northwest from the southern flank of Pokrovsk to encircle the city that is already penetrated from the southern and eastern sides. 'The Russians probably have understood that if they want to make a proper encirclement threat, they need to widen the flanks and then continue operations near Pokrovsk,' Kastehelmi told the Kyiv Independent. The Russian Defense Ministry said on June 8 that its troops were pushing forward in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast — a region adjacent to Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts but have thus not seen combat actions. It added that the Russian military's 90th Guards Tank Division units had reached the western border of Donetsk Oblast and were thrusting forward into the industrial Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The Ukrainian military immediately denied the claim, saying that the fighting continued inside Donetsk Oblast, calling Russia's claims 'disinformation.' The Ukrainian monitoring project DeepState has put the proximity of Russian troops to the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast border at about two kilometers, yet painting that distance between the regional border and the alleged position of Russian troops as no man's land. The Kyiv Independent requested a comment to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces but has not heard back in time of publication. Even if militarily not as significant, the Russian penetration into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast would mean yet another Ukrainian region would be now a warzone. It could also help strengthen the Russian negotiation position as the U.S. continues to push both sides to hold peace talks to end the war at all costs. "If they [russians] find a weak spot, they will try to exploit it.' Russia had begun its long-expected offensive in April but has only made limited gains since then, besides opening a new front in the northeastern Sumy Oblast by occupying a number of border villages there. Kastehelmi from the Black Bird Group said that the Ukrainian defense of Pokrovsk would be compromised if Russian troops are able to widen their flanks, which would enable them to bring their support elements forward. 'It can mean that they may be able in the summer to threaten the remaining supply routes to the city in a way which makes it even more dangerous for Ukrainian units,' Kastehelmi said. Kastehelmi added that it would be 'an operational success' for Moscow if it is able to first expand its flank westward toward Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and then begin attacking northward, while also building on the eastern flank. But he stressed that Russian troops have not been the best at coordinating attacks, even if it looks 'doable' on paper. Jakub Janovsky, a Prague-based military analyst at the Oryx open-source project tracking Ukrainian and Russian equipment losses, said that it likely won't make 'any difference' if Russian troops advanced a kilometer or two into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. He added that Russia appears to be continuing to rely heavily on small infantry group assaults, either on foot or motorcycles, thus decreasing the use of Soviet-era BMP fighting vehicles or tanks. 'It seems more likely that Russia will focus on Donetsk Oblast,' Janovsky told the Kyiv Independent. 'But it's entirely possible that if they find a weak spot, they will try to exploit it.' Read also: Inside Russia, calls for peace come with conditions — and Kremlin talking points We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.

Kiev, Moscow exchange POWs after heavy overnight strikes hit Ukraine
Kiev, Moscow exchange POWs after heavy overnight strikes hit Ukraine

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Kiev, Moscow exchange POWs after heavy overnight strikes hit Ukraine

Ukraine and Russia exchanged a second group of prisoners of war on Tuesday, after Ukrainian authorities reported another night of heavy Russian air attacks. The group of Ukrainian prisoners consisted of seriously ill and severely injured soldiers, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram. They will all receive immediate medical assistance, he said. Among them were members of the army, the National Guard, transport services and border guards, according to Zelensky. The Defence Ministry in Moscow confirmed that the exchange had taken place at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border. The Russian soldiers will be taken to Russia after a medical examination, the ministry said in a statement. Neither side provided any information about the number of prisoners that were exchanged. Ukraine and Russia swapped a first group of prisoners of war on Monday. Zelensky initially wrote that seriously injured people were among them, but the responsible Ukrainian authority later clarified that the group comprised soldiers under the age of 25. Zelensky confirmed on Tuesday that the exchanges would continue. During negotiations in Istanbul last week, the warring parties agreed to exchange at least 1,000 prisoners from each side, as well as several thousand bodies of fallen soldiers, but the implementation has been mired with complications. Moscow has accused Ukraine of refusing to accept the bodies of dead Ukrainian soldiers from Russian representatives. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated on Tuesday that more than 1,200 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers were waiting to be returned in refrigerated lorries at the Belarusian border. The spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said it was inhumane that Ukraine was not taking back its dead. However, the Ukrainian coordination staff has pushed back against accusations from Moscow, saying the Russian side had begun the handover of the remains on its own authority without having agreed a precise date. It stressed that all dead soldiers will be brought home. Heavy strikes hit Ukraine's Odessa and Kiev Ukraine on Tuesday reported heavy overnight Russian airstrikes on the southern port city of Odessa and the capital Kiev. Two people were killed and at least ten others were injured after a drone strike in Odessa, Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov wrote on Telegram. Attacks were also reported in the capital Kiev, where authorities said at least four people were injured. A dpa reporter described hearing heavy air defence fire during the night and Ukraine's air force said ballistic missiles were also used. The Kiev city military administration said damage was reported in six out of the capital's 10 districts. At least one woman was injured, and the Kyiv Independent reported, citing local authorities, that several cars caught fire and buildings were damaged. The Ukrainian air force said Russia had attacked with 315 drones and dummy drones, two North Korean ballistic missiles and five cruise missiles. It said 284 targets were neutralized, including all missiles and cruise missiles. Zelensky appeals for more pressure on Russia Zelensky called for more international pressure to be placed on Moscow following the overnight attacks. "Today was one of the largest attacks on Kiev. Odesa, Dnipro region, and Chernihiv region were also targeted," he wrote on the X platform on Tuesday. These airstrikes had "drowned out" all efforts by the United States and other countries to achieve peace, he said. Zelensky called on the US, Europe "and others around the world who called for an end to the war" to take action. The response to such Russian attacks must not be silence, he said. Russia says it shot down 102 Ukrainian drones In the Russian border region of Belgorod, a woman was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Tuesday. There were also reports of injuries. The Russian Defence Ministry reported that 102 Ukrainian drones were shot down over several Russian territories and the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed in 2014. The information provided by the two countries cannot be independently verified. According to Russian media reports, one of the targets was a drone factory near the city of Yelabuga in the republic of Tatarstan. Russia's aviation authority placed temporary restrictions on take-offs and landings at 13 airports during Monday night and Tuesday morning, including the airports of Moscow and St Petersburg.

Inside Israeli Embassy shooter Elias Rodriguez's fan club
Inside Israeli Embassy shooter Elias Rodriguez's fan club

New York Post

time4 hours ago

  • New York Post

Inside Israeli Embassy shooter Elias Rodriguez's fan club

Elias Rodriguez is accused of brutally murdering two Israeli embassy staffers — but a sick fan club cheering on his action is growing around him. A twisted online community has exploded supporting the suspected terrorist: Writing him letters in jail, petitioning for his release, and celebrating his crime as part of the so-called 'global intifada.' The Post infiltrated several popular Telegram channels which circulate op-eds, petitions and even stickers in support of the accused murderer. 8 Elias Rodriguez was arrested for allegedly shooting Yaron Lichinsky and Sarah Pilgrim in May. Katie Kalisher via Storyful Rodriguez, 31, is charged with shooting Yaron Lichinsky, 28, and Sarah Pilgrim, 26, late on May 21 as they were leaving a Young Diplomats Reception held at the Capital Jewish Museum in DC. The victims, who were a couple, both worked at the Israeli Embassy. Chicago native Rodriguez is now charged with two counts of first-degree murder and is being held in jail as prosecutors determine a full list of charges against him. Depraved Rodriguez, who had ties to radical left-wing groups, reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack that night while chanting 'Free Palestine' which has since made him the subject of praise online. A video of Rodriguez's arrest posted to Resistance News Network, a pro-Palestinian Telegram channel with more than 165,000 followers, received tremendous positive attention. 404 users reacted with a heart-on-fire emoji, and 192 more with a salute emoji. 8 A message posted to the Tariq el-Tahrir Youth and Student Network Telegram channel encouraged members to post stickers of Rodriguez 'everywhere.' Telegram Individuals on the Tariq el-Tahrir Youth and Student Network Telegram channel were encouraged to print out stickers of Rodriguez and to 'distribute them everywhere! Long live the armed anti-imperialist resistance!' Especially disturbing strings of comments about Rodriguez and racist hate directed towards Lichinsky and Pilgrim were left by members of GAZA NOW IN ENGLISH, a Telegram channel with more than 200,000 members. An image of Rodriguez posted to the channel the day after the attack praised him for, 'in a moment of courage, [deciding] to make his voice heard and [confronting] the murderers with boldness,' despite both of his victims being entirely innocent diplomats. 8 Stickers of Elias Rodriguez were circulated on Telegram groups to be downloaded by users. 8 Reactions on Telegram to Lichinsky and Pilgrim's murder were viciously antisemitic. Telegram 'Great man even though he's a Christian/atheist worm,' one channel member responded. Another wrote, 'Blessed… two zionists off to their promised land in HELL!!!' 'Go go go rodriguesz [sic], another shooter are welcomed,' a third user wrote. Another said, 'This should happen all over the world in each and every country.' Responses to a photo of the two victims were equally depraved. Heart emojis, Palestinian flags, poop emojis, and inverted red triangles, used by Hamas in military footage to indicate an Israeli target before an attack, littered the comment section. 'Welcome to hell,' someone emboldened by their anonymity wrote. Another chimed in, 'Those things are not 'people' they are demons.' 'Thank you… let all iarelist [sic] and zionist be killed,' a commenter added. 'Killing jews ia [sic] service to humanity. Kill more of these terrorist children killers,' someone wrote. 8 Many users on the GAZA NOW IN ENGLISH Telegram channel celebrated the murders. Telegram Multiple Telegram channels, including the United Liberation Front for Palestine and Resistance News Network, circulated a petition to free Rodriguez, written by the anonymous Free Elias Rodriguez Organizing Committee. 'Elias Rodriguez's targeted attack on two israeli [sic] diplomatic staff on May 21, 2025 was a legitimate act of resistance against the zionist state,' it reads, condoning murder on US territory for political ends. 8 Rodriguez's image was photoshopped onto a Palestinian flag, superimposed with a hammer and sickle. Telegram They compare Rodriguez to alleged United Healthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione, 'whose alleged actions,' the petition argues, 'also helped to balance the scales of justice.' 'We are saying that such counter-violence is legitimate. It is justice. Elias Rodriguez's act was fully justified, at that place where legal and moral duties meet.' 8 Several Telegram groups circulated a petition to free Elias Rodriguez from prison. Telegram Jewish groups have warned that many channels like these are actually seeded and fuelled by Hamas to spread its anti-Israel propaganda. 'The Telegram app has a channel where anyone can find English translations of propaganda from groups like Hamas. It's not necessarily like there's a menu of options from Hamas, it's not that official. They just create online spaces where people can access and circulate their propaganda. 'It serves Hamas by portraying them as a legitimate resistance instead of the bloodthirsty terrorists that they are. It has dangerous consequences and makes people feel like they are not alone in their resistance, which can make them more damaging,' Oren Segal, the Anti-Defamation League's SVP for Counter-Extremism and Intelligence, recently told The Post. 8 A 'zine' version of Khaled Barakat's op-ed was circulated for download on several channels. Telegram Telegram groups, including Resistance News Network, the Tariq el-Tahrir Youth and Student Network, and United Liberation Front for Palestine, which were identified to The Post by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies as especially extreme channels, have also shared an especially inflammatory op-ed celebrating Rodriguez. The piece is written by Khaled Barakat, an individual identified by the US Department of Treasury as a Specially Designated National for his association with the designated terrorist organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Published originally in Arabic in a Lebanese newspaper, the piece has been converted into a 'zine' form that Telegram users are circulating in a printable PDF form. Barakat's message reads: 'Rodriguez's operation represents a cry in the face of the American system, and a message that resistance is … an identity, and an ethical and political stance that allows for no compromise.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store