The health of Amet Suleymanov, a citizen journalist from Crimea who is serving a 12-year sentence in the Vladimir Central Prison in Russia, has deteriorated, reports Crimean Solidarity, citing his wife Lilia Lyumanova, who recently received a letter from her husband.
Amet Suleymanov has a “matchbox-sized” (approx. 5 cm) hematoma under his knee, in the calf area. The journalist also wrote that he is concerned about his blood pressure: it is almost 200 mmHg and rises even higher by the evening.
Lilia Lyumanova says that Amet had called the infirmary chief and explained that the hematoma could be a result of heart problems. The political prisoner did not say what the doctor’s response was. Lyumanova had already consulted a local Crimean doctor who recommended an ultrasound exam of the leg vessels.
“Perhaps this is blood clots forming, or perhaps a consequence of a hypertensive crisis (which Suleymanov has suffered twice during his time in prison, latest instance happening this summer). Everything is unclrear at the moment, an examination is needed. When it will be done is the question,” she said.
Lyumanova has prepared medicines that she plans to send by parcel post, but she doubts that they will be delivered quickly: in his previous letters Suleymanov said that medicine that had already arrived was being handed to inmates with delays.
Lawyer Lilia Gemeci said that she had contacted Alexander Rybakov, first deputy chief the Federal Penitentiary Service in Russia’s Vladimir region, and received an incomplete package of medical documents in response.
“The purpose of the query is to understand the dynamics of Amet’s condition. From his letters we know that his blood pressure is constantly high, and an ultrasound revealed a deterioration in the heart valve patency, which is already approaching a critical threshold. We wanted to see the ultrasound results for the heart and liver, because his whole body was covered in spots. They never provided us with this data,” Gemeci said.
Who is Amet Suleymanov
Amet Suleymanov is a Crimean Tatar citizen journalist with Crimean Solidarity who reported on the searches and detentions targeting Crimean Tatars following the 2014 Russian occupation of Crimea. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison for alleged involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is outlawed in Russia.
Amet Suleymanov suffers from arterial and mitral valve issues. He was recommended a heart valve replacement surgery. His health continued to deteriorate in the PTDC. Suleymanov’s heart disease is included in Russia’s list of health conditions that should prevent a person from being in custody. Amet’s relatives are convinced that living behind bars can be fatal for him.
In November 2024, Amet Suleymanov reported that his health had deteriorated: he was concerned about the pain in his heart.
It was reported in August 2025 that Amet Suleymanov had suffered a hypertensive crisis: his blood pressure had risen to 210 mmHg.
