The chairman of the Gola Prystan, Oleksandr Babich, is being held by the Russians in the Taganrog pre-trial detention center

The chairman of the occupied Gola Prystan in the Kherson region, Oleksandr Babich, who was kidnapped by the Russians almost 4 years ago, is being held in the Taganrog pre-trial detention center-2. This was reported by the manager of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, Zarema Barieva.

The Russians kidnapped Oleksandr Babich on March 28, 2022 at 8 am from his own home: “Olexandr Babich is not just a wonderful person, a family man, a loving father – he is a patriot of his country, a man of his word who did not leave his city and is one of the few who was with his community until the last moment and did not betray either his oath or conscience,” notes Zarema Barieva.

Until now, it was not known exactly where Oleksandr Babich is. For almost 4 years, Babich has been held by the Russians without any criminal status.

All information about Oleksandr comes to his wife Olga exclusively from various people who somehow crossed paths with her husband in various pre-trial detention centers in Crimea, through small notes written on pieces of toilet paper with one or two phrases.

According to information received in January 2026, from June 9-10, 2025, about 20 people (half of whom were civilians, and the other half were Ukrainian prisoners of war) were taken out of their cells, placed in vans with their legs, hands and tape tied around their heads, including their eyes. And there, guess what: you are taken for interrogation, shot, tortured or taken to ride around Russia to another pre-trial detention center. As it turned out, it was a transfer from Crimean Detention Center-2 to Taganrog Detention Center-2, which lasted an eternity for all these people.

There was no stop along the way for people to go to the toilet, writes Zarema Barieva. And so, in the motorcade, former prisoner of war Leonid met, as it turned out, the chairman of the Naked Pier, Alexander Babich, who at that time had been illegally detained by the Russians in the Crimean Detention Center for more than three years.

“During the transfer and three days of being together in the same cell in Taganrog, Alexander managed to tell us that his health had deteriorated significantly during this time. Babich had lost half of his weight, and said that he was suffering from severe high blood pressure. He was not convicted or charged, but they cannot forgive his refusal to work for the Russian Federation and the organization of pro-Ukrainian rallies in support of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, for which they are holding him in their torture chambers.”

In three days, all the prisoners of war, fortunately for them, were taken out of the cells, as it turned out later, for further transfer, while the civilians, unfortunately, remained in Taganrog, adds the human rights activist. “Then there were three flights, all with tape over their eyes, and the long-awaited return as part of an exchange to Ukraine. Leonid was able to return home on June 14, 2025… But not a day goes by that the former prisoner of war does not think about those who remained there and waits/believes that Ukraine will do everything to return them all home in the near future. I sincerely wish that Ukraine will fulfill and justify their dreams and hopes, and everyone will be able to return home in the coming days, including Oleksandr Babich, who has been in Taganrog SIZO-2 for 7 months and has been in captivity for almost 4 years.”