In this powerful interview, Ukrainian journalist Chris Sampson speaks with Leniie Umerova, a Crimean Tatar activist who spent nearly two years in Russian captivity after attempting to visit her sick father in occupied Crimea.
Detained at the Russian border, falsely accused of espionage, and held in multiple prisons—including Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo prison—Umerova endured interrogation, isolation, and psychological pressure before finally being released in a prisoner exchange.
In this conversation she shares:
• The history of the Crimean Tatar people and the legacy of Stalin’s deportations
• What happened during Russia’s occupation of Crimea in 2014
• Her arrest and interrogation by Russian security forces
• Life inside Russian detention centers and political prisons
• Stories of other Ukrainian civilians still imprisoned by Russia
• Why Crimea is about people, not territory
• How letters from strangers around the world kept prisoners alive with hope
Umerova’s story is not only about survival—it is a reminder that thousands of Ukrainians remain in Russian prisons today.
Crimea is not negotiable.
