Kharkiv teacher dies in pre-trial detention centre in occupied Crimea
Oleksandra Kazarovytska, co-founder and Director of Studies at the Professional language school in Kharkiv, has died in a pre-trial detention centre in temporarily occupied Simferopol.
Source: Professional language school on Facebook; Russian media outlet Vazhnye Istorii (Important Stories); human rights organisation Memorial
Quote from the school: "It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Oleksandra Kazarovytska (Kolesnikova), Director of Studies and co-founder of the Professional school. Russia killed her. Sasha was an incredibly kind and talented person. A true teacher and mentor, she never stopped developing herself and genuinely celebrated every student's achievements."
Details: The Russian occupation authorities claim Oleksandra killed herself. She was pronounced dead on 25 October and buried in Sevastopol on 4 November.
"Sasha's father was in the military, and as a child she travelled around the entire Soviet Union with her parents. When her father retired, he chose an apartment in Sevastopol. Sasha herself spent almost all her adult life in Kharkiv, where her grandmother lived," her colleagues recall.
After the start of the full-scale invasion, the family decided to move the elderly parents to Türkiye permanently so that their daughter and her husband could look after them. In the summer of 2026, Oleksandra travelled to occupied Crimea for no more than a month to help her relatives sell their property and complete the move.
The woman was detained by Russian security forces in Sevastopol.
"They found her correspondence with a volunteer dating back to the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Then three months in solitary confinement. Waiting for trial. And then 'she took her own life'," Oleksandra's colleagues wrote.
She is survived by her husband Oleksii and daughter Alisa.
The occupation authorities have not disclosed the specific criminal charge brought against the woman.
Background: According to the UN, at least 438 Ukrainians have died in Russian captivity, while torture and ill-treatment of prisoners are systematic and have become part of the Kremlin's state policy.
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