Crimean political prisoner journalists have been deprived of proper medical care for years in Russian prisons.
Crimean journalists, prisoners of the Kremlin, have been denied qualified medical assistance for years in Russian colonies, despite suffering from serious health issues.
This was stated by journalist and human rights activist Lutfiye Zudieva during the online forum “Trials Against Freedom of Speech in Crimea: The Cost of Journalistic Work,” organized by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine.
1 Lutfiye Zudieva. Photo from social media Civil journalist Vilen Temeryanov has been in custody since August 2022. By the end of 2023, he reported that he was being held in a pre-trial detention center in Rostov-on-Don. He complains of periodic stomach pain.
2 Vilen Temeryanov Journalist and human rights activist Irina Danilovich, who has been imprisoned since April 2022, requires dental care. In the Zelonokumskaya colony in the Stavropol region, where she is currently held, she has completely lost hearing in her left ear due to otitis, and the left side of her body is numb following a mini-stroke. She also suffers from heart and headaches.
3 Irina Danilovich. Photo from social media Asan Akhtemov has been incarcerated since September 2021. He is in a high-security prison known as Vladimir Central. He reported a deterioration in his health, with worsening eyesight due to lack of light in his cell, knee pain, and most of his teeth have crumbled. At the end of December, he is scheduled to be transferred to another colony, but neither his wife nor his lawyer knows where.
4 Asan Akhtemov. Photo from social media Osman Arifmetov has been in custody since March 2019. He is currently held in a prison in Minusinsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai. He has lost 22 kilograms. He has been transferred to a high-security facility where family phone calls are prohibited.
“The reason for this is unknown to us, but we believe it is pressure on Osman, as he continues to work as a journalist even in prison, writing very strong and powerful texts about what is happening in Crimea,” Zudieva shared.
5 Osman Arifmetov. Source: “Crimean Solidarity” Remzi Bekirov has been imprisoned since March 2019. He is in a colony in the Republic of Khakassia. He has lost 15 kg. Prison guards are psychologically pressuring the political prisoner, prohibiting him from approaching his bed during the day. He has been sent to the punishment isolation cell seven times for fabricated reasons: not greeting a prison officer, not wearing a hat, and similar charges. For the past two months, Remzi has been in harsh conditions.
6 Remzi Bekirov. Source: “Crimean Solidarity” Amet Suleimanov has been in custody since March 2020. He is currently held in a prison in Russian Vladimir. He complains of constant heart pain and also suffers from high blood pressure. Recently it became known that he was removed from the waiting list for heart valve replacement surgery in Crimea, which was supposed to take place several years before his arrest. This situation threatens the life of the Crimean Tatar, but the Russian authorities are doing nothing to rectify it.
7 Crimean Tatar, civil journalist Amet Suleimanov – the health of the political prisoner has deteriorated significantly in custody Timur Ibrahimov has been incarcerated since October 2017. He is currently in a correctional colony in the Ryazan region. A year ago, he reported that he urgently needed to replace an eye implant. This is impossible in the conditions of the colony. He complains of worsening eyesight and has requested medical assistance, but has not received it even once.
8 Timur Ibrahimov. Source: “Crimean Solidarity” Server Mustafaev has been imprisoned since May 2018, currently in a colony in the Tambov region. He has also begun to experience vision problems.
9 Server Mustafaev. Source: “Radio Liberty” Seiran Saliev has been in custody since October 2017, and as of the end of November, he had already spent four months in harsh conditions in a colony in the Tula region. The reason for this was 22 penalties imposed on him from October 2022 to February 2024. The colony characterizes him as a notorious violator, although, according to him, the prison guards have never even reprimanded him. During his imprisonment, he has also suffered significant dental deterioration and worsening eyesight.
0 Seiran Saliev. Source: “Crimean Solidarity” Zudieva believes that Ukraine and international institutions should advocate for access for independent doctors and ombudsmen from other countries to Crimean journalists who are in custody, to provide them with assistance.
Earlier, ZMINA reported that the vast majority of Crimean journalist political prisoners are serving illegal sentences in Russia, with the only media worker who has not been transferred from Crimea being freelancer for “Crimea.Realities” Vladislav Yesipenko.