Crimean political prisoner dead in russian jail
Photo: the Crimean Solidarity website
A Crimean Tatar activist Dzhemil Gafarov died in a Russian pre-trial detention center. A Russian court convicted him on charges of involvement in the activities of the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization, which is recognized as a terrorist organization in the russian federation.
Radio Svoboda reports referring to a statement of the head of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, Refat Chubarov, Rubryka writes.
Gafarov died in a pre-trial detention center in Novocherkassk (Rostov region) at the age of 60.
He was diagnosed with kidney failure. Last November, he suffered a heart attack. In Gafarov's words, the pre-trial detention center administration denied him medical assistance. His lawyers stated that detention in the pre-trial detention center was dangerous for Gafarov's life.
"He says that he is very sick, he had attacks twice a day… He says that they are trying to give him some medicine, but to take it, he needs a doctor's consultation about his kidneys; he has kidney failure, and what [medicine] they give for his heart –can affect the kidneys. He doesn't even get up to speak," the lawyer said.
Gafarov said that he was waiting for a transfer into the russian colony: "It is unclear whether I will survive the transfer or not. How will I be transferred for months? It will be tough for me to travel."
The Federal Penitentiary Service of russia did not comment on the information Gafarov's lawyers and relatives provided.
For reference:
- Servet Gaziyev, Dzhemil Gafarov, Alim Karimov, Seyran Murtaza, and Erfan Osmanov were detained after searches of the homes of Crimean Tatar activists by the Federal Security Service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of russia and the National Guard of russia on March 27, 2019. Another person, Edem Yajachikov, has disappeared; his whereabouts are unknown. Later, another suspect, Raim Aivazov, was detained. In total, 24 people were arrested at that time.
- On March 27 and 28, 2019, the russian district court of Simferopol arrested all the detainees. According to the case file, the accused did not have weapons, explosives, or ammunition, did not plan to carry out terrorist acts, and did not call others to carry out terrorist acts. But the russian special services can file an indictment only on the basis of direct or indirect involvement in the activities of an organization that is included in the list of recognized terrorists on the territory of the russian federation.
- The Islamic political party "Hizb ut-Tahrir" was recognized as a terrorist on February 14, 2003, by the Supreme Court of russia. "Hizb ut-Tahrir" is an international pan-Islamist and fundamentalist political organization aiming to re-establish the Islamic caliphate and implement sharia globally.
- The organization's representatives do not have the opportunity to express their position in the case. At the same time, on the territory of Ukraine and the countries of the world, the organization operates without restrictions at the level of national legislation.
- Since January 2015, criminal "cases of Hizb ut-Tahrir" were initiated in the occupied Crimea.
- On January 11, 2023, the russian court sentenced the Crimean Tatars Alim Karimov, Seyran Murtaza, Erfan Osmanov, Dzhemil Gafarov, and Servet Gaziyev to 13 years in prison, finding them guilty of involvement in terrorism.
- Radio Svoboda reported that the Memorial human rights center recognized the detained activists, including Gafarov, as political prisoners.
