Ukrainian Marina Riff has disappeared in occupied Crimea – human rights advocates speak of possible persecution
A Ukrainian woman who refused to accept a Russian passport has been missing in Russian-occupied Crimea since last November. Maryna Ryff disappeared during a visit to an illegitimate “migration” office in Simferopol, according to the Crimean Human Rights Group.
Maryna RyffRecords from the illegitimate “Kyivskyi District Court” in Simferopol show three rulings against Ryff dated Nov. 12, 2025. The decisions were issued at 20- to 30-minute intervals by “judge” Evgenii Pronin, who has been implicated in other cases of political persecution on the occupied peninsula.
Ryff was charged under Russian administrative law for:
- Propaganda or public display of Nazi or extremist symbols,
- “Discrediting” the Russian military, and
- Petty hooliganism.
The first charge carries a penalty of 14 days in jail, the second a fine of 40,000 rubles, and the third a fine of 85,000 rubles.
Russian security forces claim they found Facebook posts with statements they deemed “offensive, debasing human dignity, and demonstrating disrespect for society and Russian state institutions.”
A screenshot from the website of the Russian-controlled court in CrimeaRyff’s family has not known her whereabouts since November 12, 2025. They suspect she may be held in a pretrial detention center in Simferopol. CHRG human rights defenders believe the persecution is political, stemming from her open pro-Ukrainian stance.
Ryff did not obtain Russian documents during the occupation and lived with a Ukrainian passport on Ukrainian soil.
The United Nations found that Russia has created an “atmosphere of fear” in occupied Ukrainian territories following an investigation into the situation. In occupied Crimea, Russian occupying authorities consider approximately 7,000 people to be “unreliable,” and more than 1,400 cases were opened for dissent during part of last year.
