77-Year-Old Crimean Activist Sentenced to 18 Years for Alleged Plot Against Governor

A Rostov-on-Don court handed 77-year-old Crimean activist Volodymyr Ananiev an 18-year prison term, accusing him of involvement in a plot to assassinate Sergey Aksyonov, the Russian-installed governor of occupied Crimea. Prosecutors claim Ananiev helped a cell that monitored Aksyonov’s car and prepared an explosive device, leading to his detention in Simferopol in February 2024. Two other alleged participants, Volodymyr Bodnar and Oksana Shevchenko, have previously been sentenced to 13 and 10 years respectively.

Under the ruling, Ananiev will serve four years in a regular prison before being moved to a maximum-security penal colony and must pay a 600,000-ruble fine. The Crimean Tatar Resource Center highlighted his deteriorating health, including vision problems and cardiovascular issues, and said he is the oldest political prisoner among roughly 64 elderly detainees. His wife, Anna Sviatnenko, called the charges fabricated and announced plans to appeal.