Riza Omerov was transferred from Minusinsk prison to Chuvash colony

July 16, 2024
Crimean political prisoner Riza Omerov, sentenced to 13 years in prison, has been taken to a colony in the town of Tsivilsk in the Chuvash Republic of the Russian Federation.

This is reported by ‘Crimean Solidarity’ with reference to the wife of the political prisoner Sevil Omerova. Her husband first called her through the prison connection ‘Zonatelecom’.

‘Six months later I heard Riza’s voice. We hadn’t had a call since December. The first thing he asked was about the health of the children, my parents, my health. He is very much concerned and worried. Passed his congratulations to everyone, the public and hopes for a speedy return and meeting with everyone’, – said Sevilya Omerova.

We would like to remind that  the Crimean Tatar was sentenced to 13 years in prison, of which the first two years he should spend in prison in Minusinsk. Then he was to be transferred to a colony. According to Russian law, the period from the moment of detention of the prisoner until the sentence comes into legal force should be counted as the time served in prison. Last October, Riza Omerov filed a lawsuit for three years of detention in remand centres – until the sentence came into legal force. According to the calculations of the defence and the convict himself, he should have been transferred from prison to a colony with a less strict regime as early as May 2023.

The Belogorsk district court in Crimea has satisfied the lawsuit of Riza Omerov, a political prisoner from the ‘Belogorsk group’ in the Hizb ut-Tahrir case, against the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service. Judge Natalia Zinchenko recognised the illegal actions of the Federal Service for the Execution of Punishments in calculating the term of his stay in the harshest conditions – in prison.

‘Belogorsk group’ was detained on 10 June 2019. On 12 January 2020, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found them guilty and sentenced Omerov Enver to 18 years, Dzhapparov Ayder to 17 years, and Omerov Riza to 13 years in prison. The defence lawyers filed appeals.

On 10 March 2022, the Court of Appeal affirmed the decision of the court of first instance.

Crimean Tatars of the ‘Belogorsk group’, detained on 10 June 2019, are accused of organising and participating in the activities of the political Islamic party ‘Hizb ut-Tahrir’.