The health of Kremlin prisoner Tofik Abdulgaziev has deteriorated once again.

The health condition of Kremlin prisoner, Crimean Tatar activist Tofik Abdulhaziev, who suffers from tuberculosis, has sharply deteriorated: he has a high fever, a severe cough, and difficulty breathing, yet he is not receiving adequate treatment in the Russian colony.

His wife reported, Aliye Abdulhazieva, as noted by "Crimean Solidarity".

She mentioned that for about two months she has been trying to obtain medical documents and official conclusions regarding her husband’s treatment, but has received nothing so far. When she calls the colony administration, they tell her that “everything is fine,” but during her conversations with Tofik via the "Zonatelecom" phone service, she hears weakness in his voice and notices slowness in his speech.

Aliye shared that the man has a high fever again and is feeling unwell.

“The doctor prescribed an antiviral medication called ‘Kagocel.’ No other medications or medical actions were taken. Later, he began to cough heavily and struggle to breathe,” she clarified.

Tofik Abdulhaziev is an activist of the public organization “Crimean Solidarity,” a sound engineer, and a participant in the “Crimean Childhood” project. He was involved in supporting political prisoners: delivering food to pre-trial detention centers, attending trials on politically motivated cases, and providing support to his compatriots during searches of their homes.

The man was arrested on March 27, 2019, on unfounded charges and convicted in a fabricated case of allegedly participating in a terrorist organization. That day marked the most massive wave of arbitrary searches in the homes of other Crimean Tatars, after which the occupiers detained 23 civilian journalists and activists.

In May 2023, Abdulhaziev was sentenced to 12 years in a strict regime colony, with the first five years in prison. During his time in custody, his health significantly deteriorated due to the exacerbation of chronic illnesses in poor detention conditions.

In July 2023, the Crimean Tatar was transferred to a prison in Verkhneuralsk, Chelyabinsk region, which is 2,700 kilometers away from his home. Following the transfer, the man began to lose weight rapidly and constantly complained of severe joint pain.

In March 2024, the health of the Kremlin prisoner sharply declined, and he was taken in critical condition to the prison tuberculosis hospital No. 3 in Chelyabinsk. Just two weeks later, he was admitted to intensive care. Abdulhaziev was diagnosed with eight illnesses: tuberculosis, bilateral pneumonia, small left-sided hydrothorax (fluid in the lungs), anemia, connective tissue dysplasia syndrome affecting the mitral valve (heart disease), chronic heart failure, gastritis, and nephrolithiasis (kidney stones). Some of these conditions are listed as impediments to detention according to Russian law.

In April 2024, the defense of the Crimean political prisoner submitted a petition to the court demanding that the Federal Penitentiary Service release Abdulhaziev due to his illness, which is among those that hinder serving a sentence in correctional institutions.

For more on the situation of Crimean political prisoners, read the article by ZMINA

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