Russian authorities in Crimea fine journalist Lenora Dyulber

The Russian-installed authorities in Crimea have fined Lenora Dyulber, the host of the Crimean Tatar talk show Merkez, 33,000 rubles (almost 17,000 UAH). She was taken to Simferopol for an interrogation earlier, on 4 December 2025, after a search of her home. She was fined for “discrediting the Russian army” and “creating extremist material,” the human rights initiative Tribunal. Crimean Episode reported in a Telegram post on 12 January.

The initiative believes that the search in Dyulber’s home and her coerced trip to Simfropol in December 2025 were triggered by the available content on administrative offenses.

The human rights advocates pointed out the rulings by the Kyiv District Court of Simferopol concerning Lenora Dyulber and dated the day she was detained. According to the one of these rulings, her book “Crimean Tatars Amid the Political Environment Transformation” was discovered in the Franko Academic Library of Crimea; some experts found that the book contained “signs of justifying” the activities of the political and religious association Hizb ut-Tahrir and the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, which are outlawed in the Russian Federation.

Lenora Dyulber. Photo via Lenora Dyulber on Facebook

Tribunal. Crimean Episode notes that since the book is an academic work, the Russian authorities’ actions regarding Lenora Dyulber may be part of a persecution campaign targeting a group based on their ideology.

“This, in turn, constitutes a crime against humanity under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court and the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine. Judge Valentina Kamynina adds two international crimes to her case, following the earlier 4 counts of ‘high treason’ under the national law,” the public initiative said.

Dyulber herself has said nothing about the prosecution.

Previously

Russian security forces in occupied Crimea searched the home of journalist and political scientist Lenora Dyulber and confiscated her computer on 4 December 2025. She was taken to Simferopol and released after a questioning.

The Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech has condemned the targeting of the Crimean Tatar journalist Lenora Dyulber by the Russian authorities in Crimea.

Lenora Dyulber is a political scientist, sociologist, journalist, and Crimean Tatar activist. She hosts the popular talk show Merkez and co-authored a sociological study “Crimean Tatars amid the Political Environment Transformation”.