Defendants of ‘the 2nd Bakhchisarai Case’ was visited by Taras Malyshevsky, Consul of Ukraine, in the Detention Center no 3 of Novocherkask on 1 June 2021.
As Mr. Malyshevsky told the Crimean Human Rights Group, he met with Edem Smailov, Seyran Saliyev, Timur Ibragimov, Memet Belialov.
“Now they are working on writing an appeal to the Military Court of Appeal, which will be held in 2-3 months, and studying the case files. They try to be optimistic. But there are complaints that are classic for the Russian penitentiary system: the parcels are not delivered at once, bad food, which affects the condition of their teeth. The Russian penitentiary system has not gone far from the Gulag one, and medical support leaves much to be desired, ” Taras Malyshevsky said.
As the consul said, a few days earlier he had met with the Krasnogvardeiskoye case defendants: Vadim Bektemirovand Zekirya Muratov.
“After the announcement of the verdict, the guys are sent to remote Russian pre-trial detention centers – Taganrog, Novocherkassk, where they wait for the day of the appeal and then the transfer. In general, their condition is satisfactory. Complaints are also about dental problems. They are grateful for the support, for the letters they receive, ” said Mr.Malyshevsky.
According to him, older political prisoners suffer more health problems, because as a rule their chronic diseases exacerbate.
“It’s especially hard for them. For example, Zekirya Muratov is of disability group 3, suffering of hypertension, heart failure, blood pressure and other diseases. Now he has a lingering cold,’ added the consul.
We would remind that the defendants in the “case of the Crimean Muslims” are accused of involvement in Islamic organizations or of propaganda of the activities of organizations that have been declared terrorist or extremist in the Russian Federation, but are not such under the Ukrainian law.
Cases are considered in violation of the right to a fair trial, the main evidence for the court is the testimony of anonymous witnesses (many of whom work for the Federal Security Bureau of the Russian Federation), pre-trial testimony of witnesses who later declare in court that such testimony was given under pressure, and linguistic examinations of the conversations of the accused Muslims. Evidence provided by the defense is usually not accepted by the judges.
In May, the total number of Crimean residents imprisoned in the “case of Crimean Muslims” was 74. 5 persons more are restricted in movement: 3 are under supervision and cannot leave the occupied territory, 2 are under house arrest.
Pre-Trial Detention Center, Novocherkassk, Google.maps
