Russian Supreme Court upholds activist Serhiy Tsyhipa's sentence

Serhiy Tsyhipa. Photo by Crimean Process

The Russian Supreme Court has dismissed the cassation appeal against the sentence to Serhiy Tsyhipa, a public activist from Nova Kakhovka (Kherson oblast), who was sentenced to 13 years in prison by the occupiers.

On March 27, the Russian court upheld Serhiy's sentence, reports Crimean Process.

As the human rights activists note, despite the case being heard in close trial, the judges allowed the audience to be present while the verdict was announced, which had not happended before in the Tsyhipa case.

The Serhiy Tsyhipa case

Serhiy Tsyhipa is a public activist based in Nova Kakhovka (Kherson oblast) and runs the NGO "Kahovka Bridgehead"; he is a volunteer, former journalist and an ATO veteran.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, he has been doing volunteer work, attending rallies in support of Ukraine and reporting on the occupiers' actions in the South.

The Russians kidnapped the journalist on March 12, 2022, when he was on his way to Tavriysk with his dog to deliver medicine for his mother-in-law.

On October 6, 2023, the Russia-backed Supreme Court of Crimea sentenced Tsyhipa to 13 years in prison.

In May 2024, it was reported that Serhiy Tsyhipa had been moved to Skopin (Ryazan region, Russia), where he is to serve his prison term.

In March 2025, it was reported that Serhiy Tsyhipa had been moved from the Skopin prison to Moscow.