Date of Birth: October 10, 1978

Abducted Since: July 20, 2022

Last Known Location: City of Kherson

Viktor Syrmay is from the city of Kherson and worked as a construction worker before his captivity in Russia.

Abduction

Viktor was detained on July 20, 2022, in the city of Kherson and held in pre-trial detention. There is no information about the reason for his arrest or any charges against him. In October 2022, he was transferred to Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 2 in Simferopol, Crimea. In the spring of 2023, Viktor was transferred to the city of Chonhar (an occupied city in the Kherson region), where he is currently being held.

Health Condition

Before his captivity in Russia, Viktor was in good health. It is currently known that during his imprisonment, he has lost nine teeth and suffers from severe kidney and vision problems.

Status: As of April 2025

Letter to the Russian Ambassador

Subject: Request for the immediate release of Ukrainian civilian Viktor Syrmay

Dear Ambassador [INSERT] /Dear Ombudswoman Moskalkova,

I am writing to draw your attention to the arbitrary detention of Ukrainian civilian Viktor Syrmay (born October 10, 1978), who was innocently arrested and abducted in the city of Kherson on July 20, 2022.

Viktor was initially held in a pre-trial detention center in Kherson, later transferred to Simferopol in occupied Crimea and is currently being held in the equally occupied city of Chonhar. It is still unclear why he was arrested – no official charges have ever been brought against him.

I find the reports about Viktor Syrmay’s steadily deteriorating state of health particularly worrying. He lost nine teeth in captivity and now suffers from severe kidney and vision problems. Viktor is an innocent civilian detained without any legitimate legal basis. The rights and freedoms of the people concerned must be fully respected and protected.

I appeal to you to work for the lawful and humane treatment of all civilian prisoners in Russia, especially the abducted Ukrainians. Please allow him to contact his family and provide him with legal counsel.

Yours sincerely,

Letter to the Ukrainian Authorities

Dear Ambassador [INSERT] /Dear Ombudsman Lubinets,

I am writing to draw your attention to the abduction by the Russian military of Ukrainian civilian Viktor Syrmay (born October 10, 1978), who was innocently captured in the city of Kherson on July 20, 2022. Please note his fate in the register of missing persons in special circumstances.

Viktor was detained on that day and initially taken to a pre-trial detention center in Kherson. He was later transferred to Simferopol in occupied Crimea. He has been in custody in the occupied city of Chonhar since spring 2023. He has never been charged and it is still not known why he was abducted.

I received the information about the prisoner from the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR), which works on behalf of Ukrainian civilian prisoners through public relations, appeals, and sponsorships. The organization is in close contact with the families of the deported Ukrainians and strives to raise awareness of the situation of deported Ukrainians and the torture they are subjected to in Russian captivity.

I addressed an appeal to the Russian authorities, drawing attention to Viktor Syrmay’s situation and demanding his release.

I thank you for your tireless work to protect the Ukrainian population and your commitment to the deported civilians.

Yours Sincerely,

Addresses

Ombudswoman of the Russian Federation
Tatyana H. Moskalkova
Smolenskij, d. 19, str. 2
119121 Moscow
Russia

Ombudsman (Human Rights Commissioner) of Ukraine
Dmytro Lubinets
Human Rights Commissioner in the Ukrainian Parliament
Vulica Instytutska, 21/8
01008 Kyiv
Ukraine
Email: hotline@ombudsman.gov.ua

Ambassadors and Addresses of Embassies