The illegal "Ministry of Health" in occupied Crimea stated that political prisoner Amet Suleimanov is not on the waiting list for heart valve replacement surgery.
The illegal “Ministry of Health” in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea informed the wife of the seriously ill civic journalist Amet Suleymanov that he is not in line for heart valve replacement surgery, but is instead on a waiting list.
This was reported by Lilia Lyumanova to the public organization “Crimean Solidarity”.
Amet Suleymanov In early September, she sent a request to the illegal ministry regarding her husband's place in the surgery queue and when it is scheduled. According to her, they joined the waiting list back in late 2021 or early 2022, hoping that while her husband was under house arrest, he could be operated on.
After sending the request, the woman received a call from a “ministry” employee who stated that her letter had been received.
“And between the lines, he mentioned that Amet is on the waiting list,” – added the wife of the political prisoner.
On October 21, Lyumanova received a response stating that Amet Suleymanov “must personally appear with the relevant documents for examination and further decision regarding his surgery.”
“So it became clear from the text that he had been removed from the queue,” – the woman noted.
She filed a complaint with the occupation “prosecutor's office” on the peninsula, demanding to clarify the reasons why her husband is on the waiting list and why the “ministry's” response came more than 30 days later.
“I was in such shock and was disheartened. When we first joined the queue, I was given a code made up of several numbers and assured that we could check his status online. But due to issues in the system, this was not possible. It was only noted that he was in the surgery queue. Moreover, in September-October 2022, I received a call from the same Ministry of Health stating that his turn for surgery was approaching and that I should be prepared – within a month or two. For sure, by the end of the year, they would contact him,” – recounted the wife.
According to her, her husband received permission [from the Southern District Military Court] and went out for examination.
“We checked his stomach, teeth completely. He could have been taken and hospitalized without any issues. By the end of the year, there was no call. I called the Ministry of Health in February-March, asking if there would be surgery. They replied: ‘Yes, he is on the list, but you refused the surgery.’ We thought this was a misunderstanding, perhaps someone answered on our behalf. And we were calm, thinking we would wait a bit longer [and resolve this issue]. But already in April, he was taken away,” – shared Lilia Lyumanova.
Last August, she visited her husband at “Vladimir Central” to coordinate with the medical staff about the valve replacement. They stated that they had sent a request for the surgery to Moscow but provided no information on the timelines for consideration.
“Logically thinking: if the prison sends a request to Crimea [the Ministry of Health in Crimea], and Crimea responds that he [Amet] is not in the queue, will they cancel the surgery? I don’t know,” – commented Lyumanova.
As is known, in May 2024, Amet Suleymanov suffered a hypertensive crisis. Due to high blood pressure, he has constant nosebleeds, frequent dizziness, and shortness of breath. Chronic heart issues have also affected his vessels – the Crimean Tatar spent a month trying to obtain the medications sent by his wife.
Currently, he is receiving medication for heart pain and blood pressure, but he is not getting medications for liver support, nor blood thinners, and due to a sedentary lifestyle, he is prone to thrombosis. Doctors also prescribed him blood thinners, but after a short time, they discontinued them. The reasons why these medications are no longer provided are not disclosed by the doctors.
In July 2024, the Vladimir Regional Court denied the release of the Crimean Tatar from custody, despite his having two illnesses incompatible with detention in correctional facilities.
Recall that the Islamic political party “Hizb ut-Tahrir” was recognized as a terrorist organization by the Russian Supreme Court on February 14, 2003, during a closed court session. This religious organization operates legally in Ukraine, particularly in the temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Russia, contrary to international humanitarian law, applies its criminal legislation in Crimea.
Human rights defenders believe that the decision of the Russian Supreme Court was made without justification, violating transparency and equality of the parties, as only the prosecution side, namely the FSB, participated in the closed process. Representatives of the organization were not allowed to present their position in the case. At the same time, in most countries around the world, the organization operates without restrictions under national laws. In Ukraine, the party's activities are not prohibited; activists of the organization have been involved in publishing newspapers, openly speaking in the media, and holding mass public events.
In February 2014, Russia launched an unlawful military operation to seize the Crimean Peninsula.
On October 22, 2019, employees of the illegal “police” in Crimea detained a Crimean Tatar on the illegally constructed Kerch Bridge while he was returning to Crimea from a court process in the Southern District Military Court regarding a politically motivated case against a resident of Crimea. A few hours later, the man was released.
In addition to heart diseases, Amet Suleymanov has a disability, but it was lifted in 2015 due to his refusal of surgery in Moscow – Suleymanov was receiving systematic treatment in a Kyiv hospital and planned to undergo surgery under the supervision of his regular doctor.
After a search and subsequent detention on March 11, 2020, the court in Simferopol ordered Suleymanov to be placed under house arrest – this is one of the few cases in the criminal cases of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Russia and in the territories temporarily occupied by Russia in Ukraine.
Throughout the judicial proceedings, Suleymanov remained under house arrest. Initially, he was taken to the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don for hearings, but later he was allowed to appear via video link from the Crimean Garrison Military Court. Even under such conditions, the defendant found the court hearings difficult to endure. Sometimes they had to be interrupted so he could visit a doctor.
In March 2024, the Frunzensky District Court of Vladimir denied Suleymanov's release from prison, despite his medical documents indicating illnesses that should preclude imprisonment. The political prisoner, along with his lawyers, filed an appeal against the court's decision.
The Russian human rights center “Memorial” recognized Amet Suleymanov as a political prisoner.
To read more about Amet Suleymanov's case, see the material from ZMINA:
Recently, ZMINA reported that in a Russian colony, medic Lydia Morozova deprived Crimean journalist and human rights activist Irina Danilovich of access to necessary medications.
Earlier, ZMINA reported that Russian occupiers pretend to treat Irina Danilovich while actually only processing paperwork to report to human rights defenders and the media.
Previously, the Crimean Human Rights Group called on Crimeans to send documents and other evidence confirming the commission of crimes in occupied Crimea.
Recently, ZMINA reported that for Ukrainians living in temporarily occupied territories, an electronic service “You are in Ukraine” has been launched: it contains safety and resistance instructions and provides access to quality VPN and a secure browser.