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Riza Omerov, a defendant in the Belogorsk “Hizb ut-Tahrir” case, has complained of vision problems and spots of unknown origin on his body. Crimean Solidarity reports this.
According to his wife Sevilya Omerova, Omerov has blurred vision in his left eye. He sees lines. An ophthalmologist who examined the religious prisoner said the eyesight problem is related to his blood vessels.
Omerov was previously prescribed eye treatment, but it was ineffective. Doctors gave him a cream that he had already used, but it did not help him.
During his imprisonment Omerov has lost a lot of weight and his skin has become pale. His wife believes this is linked to poor nutrition in the colony.
The prisoner can receive one parcel every three months. It is expensive for the family to send packages from Crimea to the colony in Chuvashia, a region east of Moscow. Instead, the family adds money to Omerov’s personal account so he can buy things in the prison shop, but there is a poor selection of goods there. In addition, it is hard to access the shop because of the large number of people.
Omerov and two others were detained in June 2019. In January 2021, the Southern District Military Court sentenced him to 13 years in prison under articles for participation in a terrorist organisation (part 2 of article 205.5 of the Criminal Code) and preparing the violent seizure of power (article 278 with the application of part 1 of article 30 of the Criminal Code).
According to the court’s decision, Omerov was supposed to spend the first two years in prison. Taking into account his time in pre-trial detention, he spent about a year longer in the Minusinsk prison (Krasnoyarsk region, Siberia) than this term. He was transferred to Penal Colony No. 9 in Chuvashia only in July 2024.
While in detention, Omerov had already complained about his health. In September 2024, his wife said that he might have a vitamin deficiency. In addition, a film is forming on his eyes and he sees black dots.