A Crimean Tatar activist serving a sentence in Kamchatka, Russia’s Far East, has once again reported a deterioration in their health.

65-year-old Crimean Tatar activist Servet Gaziev, convicted in a case related to alleged involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir, has said that his health is once again deteriorating in custody, reports Crimean Solidarity, citing his sister, Svetlana Ablyamitova.

In the spring, Gaziev was transferred to Correctional Colony No. 5 in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a remote city in the far east of Russia.

According to his sister, everyone in their family has chronic illnesses—bronchitis and rheumatism. At first, the general practitioner at Penal Colony No. 5 refused to treat his cough due to his “serious charges,” Gaziev said. But, after the colony staff “got used to him,” the doctor began giving him antibiotics. Nevertheless, Gaziev still regularly suffers coughing fits, which can last up to half an hour.

After taking antibiotics, Gaziev developed intestinal problems. He has lost a significant amount of weight, his sister says. Medical staff are giving him injections, but he does not know what medication they are administering.

In 2021, while in remand prison, he had a stroke. After that, he underwent medical examinations, including an MRI of his head and cervical spine, and an abdominal ultrasound. He has not yet been informed of the results of those tests. Gaziev still suffers from pain in his right arm, has a drooping eyelid, and his “lip sags” as a result of the stroke.

He also still suffers pain in his collarbone, which was dislocated at Tuberculosis Hospital No. 19 in Rostov-on-Don, a major city in southwestern Russia. There, Gaziev was beaten for refusing to take part in voting during elections.

The activist reported that the process of granting him a pension has been suspended in the colony. He also said that prisoners are served porridge with worms in the canteen, but, in order to keep up his strength, he eats it anyway. On days when pork is included in the meals, he is left with nothing to eat at all.

• Gaziev was detained and remanded in March 2019, following mass raids on Crimean Tatars’ homes.
• In January 2023, a court sentenced him to 13 years in custody, with the first two years to be served in prison, and the remainder in a high-security colony. He was found guilty of participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation (Art. 205.5, Section 2 of the Criminal Code) and preparing to seize power (Art. 278 in conjunction with Art. 30, Section 1 of the Criminal Code). In effect, Gaziev was accused of association with the Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir. He was unable to take part in closing arguments because the court prohibited him from speaking in Crimean Tatar, and he speaks little Russian.