The so-called Yalta Hizb ut-Tahrir case defendant Vadim Siruk, speaking about a possible exchange, emphasized that it is very important that not a single political prisoner is forgotten in this situation and left without any support. This was reported to the Crimean Tatar Resource Center by his wife Anna, who added that Vadim is always optimistic, despite a 12-year sentence in a strict regime colony.
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“Vadym himself is always optimistic. He doesn’t complain about anything, but he asks a lot about what is happening in Crimea and in the world. He tries to spend his time in prison as useful as possible: he learned to read in Arabic, he reads a lot of history books, he tries to exercise every day, during the courts he carefully prepares for the court sessions, writes appeals and letters, which are then published in the media so that people do not forget about the problem of Crimean political prisoners”,- she said.
The spouse noted that Vadim was also asking about the exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia, she said that it was very important that not a single political prisoner is forgotten in this situation and left without any support.
“Vadim perceives all this time of imprisonment, the courts, as a test for himself, for the family, for the people as a whole. And trials are what you need to pass with dignity, without losing humanity, whithout abandoning your values”,- his wife explained.
Anna said that in many cells it’s damp and the water in Rostov is of poor quality, which is why Vadim has kidney problems. The doctor came, tried to help, but in the pre-trial detention center there is neither an ultrasound machine, nor the necessary medicines, nor the opportunity to undergo the necessary medical examination.
“While the trials were going on in Rostov, we often met with Vadim at meetings and sometimes on dates. After the sentence, of course, everything changed. Not in the sense of mood, hopes and expectations – the sentence of 12 years in a strict regime colony was quite predictable. But we were able to see each other less often – in November, for example, we saw each other 4 or 5 times, and once a month in the winter, two hours at a time through the glass and with the telephone. It is especially difficult for children to understand this: spend more than a day in the car to see dad for only 2 hours, but still they’re happy to drive, and they send pictures from home by post”,- she added.
We remind that Emir-Huseyn Kuku, Vadim Siruk, Muslim Aliev, Enver Bekirov, Arsen Dzhepparov and Refat Alimov are accused of participation in the organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in the Russian Federation. They are charged with Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“organization of the activities of a terrorist organization and participation in it”). Later they began to impute Article 278 of the Criminal Code ("Forced seizure of power or forcible retention of power"). On October 11, during a court session in the Southern District Military Court of Rostov-on-Don, the prosecutor requested 13 to 20 years in prison for the so-called Yalta Hizb ut-Tahrir case defendants. On November 12, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don announced the sentence. Muslim Aliev and Enver Bekirov were sentenced to 19 and 18 years in a maximum security penal colony, Emir-Huseyn Kuku and Vadim Siruk – to 12 years, Refat Alimov – to 8 years, Arsen Dzhepparov – to 7 years.