CrimeaSOS: the UN Committee against Torture responded to the complaint concerning Amet Suleimanov
27 / 02 / 2023
The UN Committee against Torture (CAT) reacted to the appeal of the Crimean political prisoner Amet Suleimanov regarding the imposition of a punishment incompatible with his state of health. This was reported by the Head of the Board of CrimeaSOS Oleksii Tilnenko.
“Lawyer Serhii Zaiets being the representative of Amet Suleimanov at the CAT told CrimeaSOS that the Committee issued interim decision requesting russia to refrain from executing the sentence until a further decision. In addition, the CAT insists on conducting a comprehensive medical examination and providing the necessary treatment.” — said Oleksii Tilnenko.
Due to serious heart diseases and the lack of proper medical care in the russian penitentiary system, Amet Suleimanov’s sentence is in fact a sentence to a slow death. The need for the surgery was recognized even before the start of the criminal prosecution, but due to the legal process it has not been carried out until now (for several years). Another political prisoner Dzhemil Hafarov died due to the lack of medical care.
“This (interim decision of the Committee) gives a chance to save the convict’s life, but, unfortunately, does not exclude the execution of an obviously unjust sentence. For example, the execution of the sentence can be postponed until Amet Suleimanov’s health improves or it can be replaced by something that would ensure access to medical care and would not pose a threat to life”, – added Oleksii Tilnenko.
On March 11, 2020, the houses of several Crimean Tatars were searched in Bakhchysarai. Citizen journalist Amet Suleimanov was among those detained. On October 29, 2021, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don announced the guilty verdict against four Crimean Tatars. Suleimanov was sentenced to 12 years in prison for alleged involvement in the international organization “Hizb ut-Tahrir”. The convict must spend the first three and a half years in a cell-type facility.
On February 10, 2023, the russian Court of Appeal in Vlasys rejected the appeals and upheld the verdict. Lawyer Lilia Hemedzhi called the sentence “deathly”, because Amet Suleimanov has serious health problems, he is recommended to have a heart valve replaced.
Representatives of human rights organizations condemned the persecution of Amet Suleimanov, Rustem Seitmemetov, Osman and Seitumer Seitumerov and other Crimean Tatar activists in the temporarily occupied Crimea.
We shall remind you that the lack of medical care in places of deprivation of liberty has already led to the death of two Crimean political prisoners and poses a mortal threat to others.