The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation did not satisfy the cassation appeals against the first instance verdict and the decision of the appellate court on the terms of imprisonment of Tofik Abdulgaziev, Vladlen Abdulkadyrov, Izzet Abdullaev, Medzhit Abdurakhmanov and Bilyal Adilov in the ‘case of Hizb ut-Tahrir’. The lawyer Emil Kurbedinov told ‘Crimean solidarity’public association about it.
‘At the meeting we, as lawyers, and our defendants made arguments that we have been expressing for many years. We absolutely reasonably speak about the illegality of persecution and such huge sentences in strict regime colonies for actually peaceful meetings, study of literature, etc.’, – said Emil Kurbedinov.
Tofik Abdulgaziev is currently ill with tuberculosis and is in LPU-3 (medical and preventive institution) of the State Penitentiary Service of the Chelyabinsk region. He said that morally he feels good, but his health ‘is deteriorating in such conditions’.
Political prisoners will continue to serve their time in Russian colonies.
We would like to remind that on 27 March 2019, Russian security forces in occupied Crimea conducted mass searches in 26 houses of Crimean Tatars. From some activists seized literature, which, according to Crimean Solidarity, the law enforcers themselves planted. In addition to books and brochures, people were confiscated phones, tablets, laptops and passports. The law enforcers behaved rudely.
It is reported that they used physical force against the detainees. They entered the houses with shoes on.
Lawyers who came to the place of the searches were not allowed to see the defendants. As a result, 20 people suspected of involvement in the activities Hizb ut-Tahrir organization, which is banned in Russia, were detained. On 28 March, three more Crimean Tatar activists were detained and their homes were searched in their absence. On 27-28 March, the occupation court arrested all 23 Crimean Tatar activists detained after the searches. They were given a measure of restraint in the form of detention. Subsequently, all the defendants in the ‘case’ were repeatedly extended the term of arrest.
On 22 March 2024, Tofik Abdulgaziev was taken in critical condition to the hospital of the Specialised Tuberculosis Hospital No. 3 of the State Penitentiary Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service in Chelyabinsk. It is known that earlier his lawyer informed his relatives that Abdulgaziev had lost 15 kilograms of weight and complained of pain in the joints of his arms and legs. In addition, it became difficult for him to clench and unclench his fingers, and due to acute pain in his heel he could not step on his foot, so he could not move normally and go for walks.
On 15 April 2024, according to the published document, Abdulgaziev’s main diagnosis was disseminated pulmonary tuberculosis. Associated diagnoses are bilateral pneumonia and left-sided omental hydrothorax, as well as moderate anaemia and connective tissue dysplasia syndrome.