A defendant in the Hizb ut-Tahrir case has reported a deterioration in their health and pressure being exerted on them in a prison colony in Khakassia, southern Siberia.

Remzi Bekirov, a Crimean Tatar journalist sentenced to 19 years in prison, has reported health problems and pressure being exerted on him at Penal Colony No. 33 in Abakan, in southern Siberia’s Khakassia region. This was reported by Crimean Solidarity, citing his wife Khalide Bekirova.

According to his wife, he has lost 30 kilograms recently—his current weight is now 78 kilograms.

“The children and I were very surprised by how thin Remzi has become. We could barely recognise him, and our relatives and friends, when they saw the photos, didn’t recognise him at all,” Khalide Bekirova said.

She noted that Bekirov lacks “vitamins and minerals,” and that prisoners “hardly ever see” meat, dairy, fruit or vegetables in their diet. When Bekirov was sent to the punishment cell (ShIZO), he received less than half a portion of food, which “is impossible to fill up on.”

He also needs dental treatment—his teeth are breaking and falling out. However, the prison doctor offers no option other than to pull out his problem teeth. For the pain, he is given paracetamol.

“He says to the patient, without even looking in their mouth: ‘Everything’s fine with you! ’ He does not delve into the real issue at all and does not try to solve it,” the Crimean Tatar’s wife said.

Bekirov continues to be affected by varicose veins in his legs. The colony does not allow prisoners to lie down during the day, which only makes the condition worse.

In addition, he has been banned from performing the five daily prayers. Bekirov tried to challenge this in court, but in Khalide Bekirova’s words, the court ruled that the internal rules of the colony “are more important than the country’s Constitution.”

At the moment, Bekirov manages to combine the midday and afternoon prayers, and the evening and night prayers, “so that he is not punished [by being sent to ShIZO].” However, as the days get shorter, this will no longer be possible, his wife noted.

The journalist also reported that Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) staff have installed a glass door directly opposite the showers, where prisoners go to wash. While prisoners are showering, staff watch them. Bekirov described this as “degrading human dignity” and “psychological pressure,” and said he plans to challenge the actions of FSIN in court.

“He says that no matter how many times he sues over the conditions of detention, things just keep getting worse,” Khalide Bekirova commented.

Additionally, Bekirov is not receiving correspondence from the courts regarding his lawsuits against the colony. According to the Crimean Tatar, he tried to send letters asking for decisions to be resent to him, but Bekirov believes these letters are not actually being sent by post.

“I asked: ‘How do you know that they’re not actually leaving [the colony]? ’ And he said: ‘When a letter is sent, I get a slip confirming it has been sent,’” his wife said, adding that Bekirov has not received confirmation slips for any recent correspondence.

Bekirov has been in Penal Colony No. 33 since August of last year. He has been placed in a punishment cell (ShIZO) multiple times under various pretexts, including for performing namaz (Muslim prayers). The journalist is serving his sentence more than 5,000 kilometres from home.

• In March 2022, a court sentenced Remzi Bekirov, correspondent for Crimean Solidarity and Grani.ru, to 19 years’ imprisonment. According to the verdict, he spent the first five years in prison, with the remainder to be served in a strict regime colony.
• He was convicted of involvement with “Hizb ut-Tahrir.” Bekirov was found guilty of organising the activities of a terrorist organisation (part 1 of article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code) and attempting to seize power (article 278, with application of part 1, article 30 of the Criminal Code). Alongside him, Crimean Tatar activists Riza Izetov, Shaban Umerov and Raim Ayvazov were convicted on similar charges, receiving 19, 18 and 17 years respectively. Another defendant, Farhod Bazarov, received 15 years after being convicted not of organising but of participating in terrorist activities (part 2 of article 205.5).