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Crimean Tatar journalist and activist Asan Akhtemov, who has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, still cannot obtain a medical examination, even though his health continues to deteriorate. His wife Repika Akhtemova reported this.

On 17 June, she travelled to Correctional Colony No. 5 in Arkhangelsk Region, a city in north-west Russia, for a long visit with her husband.

According to Repika, the activist’s eyesight has significantly deteriorated—after 10–15 minutes of reading the words begin to blur, and his eyes start to hurt, water, and turn red. After that, he can only read something again a few hours later. In addition, Asan has back and knee pain, which means he cannot sit for more than 15 minutes.

“It is very difficult to obtain a medical examination, but Asan is trying, he writes requests, and when he gets the chance, he talks to the doctor about his health problems. Unfortunately, such opportunities are very, very rare,” the activist’s wife said.

Asan has reported his health problems before. In December 2024, when he was still in Prison No. 2 in Vladimir Region (Vladimir Central Prison, located east of Moscow), his wife said his eyesight was worsening due to a lack of light in the cell, and he had also started to experience knee pain. In addition, the activist was having serious dental problems. “There are almost no healthy teeth left—they’ve all crumbled or fallen out on their own,” Repika reported.

According to his wife, while in Vladimir Central Prison, the activist did not receive the necessary medical care.

  • Asan Akhtemov has been in detention since September 2021. At that time, he, along with his brother Aziz Akhtemov and the Deputy Chair of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Nariman Dzhelyal, was sent to a pre-trial detention centre in connection with a case of sabotage on a gas pipeline in occupied Crimea. Soon after, Asan told his lawyer that following his arrest, he had been tortured with electric shocks and forced on camera to confess in line with what the security officers demanded. Aziz also reported being tortured.
  • In September 2022, the Supreme Court of Crimea sentenced Asan to 15 years in prison, his brother to 13 years, and Dzhelyal to 17 years. They were found guilty of sabotage committed by a group (points “a” and “b” of part 2, article 281 of the Criminal Code), illegal possession of explosives (part 4, article 222.1 of the Criminal Code), and smuggling explosive devices (part 3, article 226.1 of the Criminal Code).
  • According to investigators, in August 2021 the Akhtemov brothers, on orders from Ukrainian security services, planted an explosive device on a gas pipeline in the village of Perevalne and detonated it. Dzhelyal allegedly introduced one of the Akhtemov brothers to the alleged organiser of the sabotage, who cooperates with the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine.