Human rights advocates demand Russia ceases pressure on Remzi Bekirov
Several human rights organizations have released a joint statement regarding the pressure on the Crimean citizen journalist Remzi Bekirov, who was illegally convicted by Russia. The human rights advocates also drew attention to the inhumane conditions of his detention in the prison No. 33 in Abakan (Republic of Khakassia, Russia): he is placed in solitary confinement, barred from contacring his family, and threatened.
The statement was released by the ZMINA Center for Human Rights.
According to the human rights advocates, since the transfer of Remzi Bekirov to the colony in Abakan, where he arrived in early August, the administration of the institution has systematically and unreasonably placed him into a punishment cell. The political prisoner is also prohibited from writing letters to his family and making calls. The last time he was able to contact his wife was before he arrived at the colony, when he was in the transit point in pre-trial detention facility No. 1 in Abakan.
"At the same time, colony No. 33 is located 4,500 kilometres from Crimea, and such a distance from his home is a violation of Remzi Bekirov’s right to maintain family ties," the authors stress.
They remark that in accordance with the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), the administration of the places of detention should facilitate communication between convicts and their close relatives. This distance significantly complicates the family’s access to Remzi Bekirov.
"The transfer of the illegally imprisoned citizen journalist Remzi Bekirov, his cruel and inhuman treatment, threats and almost constant detention in a punishment cell are a continuation of the pressure and human rights violations by Russian officials," reads the statement.
The authors call on the Russian government to:
- release political prisoner Remzi Bekirov;
- release other political prisoners illegally detained on the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea, other temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and the Russian Federation;
- cease the use of torture, cruel and inhuman treatment and systematic human rights violations against illegally imprisoned Ukrainian citizens;
- cease to apply the criminal legislation of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine;
- cease the persecution of people in the temporarily occupied territories for expressing their views, journalistic activities, activism and religion.
In August 2024, Remzi Bekirov was moved from the pre-trial detention center in Krasnoyarsk (Russia) to penal colony No. 33 in Abakan (the capital of the Republic of Khakassia).
On August 10, 2024, the lawyer Emil Kuberdinov reported that citizen journalist Remzi Bekirov, who was sentenced to 19 years in prison, is under pressure from the administration of the prison No. 33 in Abakan, Republic of Khakassia (RF).
Who is Remzi Bekirov
Remzi Bekirov is a citizen journalist who livestreamed searches and trials in politically motivated cases against the residents of Crimea, in particular in the cases of Veciye Qaşqa, the detention of the UOC priest Klyment, the "Hizb ut-Tahrir" case, etc. Remzi Bekirov initiated the idea of collective assistance to the families of Crimean political prisoners. Has three underage children.
In March 2019, Russian security forces in Crimea searched the homes of Crimean Tatar activists, most of whom are Crimean Solidarity representatives. Remzi Bekirov was one of them.
25 Crimean Tatar activists were accused of involvement in the Islamic political party "Hizb ut-Tahrir", outlawed in Russia as a terrorist organization, but legal without restrictions in many countries across the globe.
Remzi Bekirov was charged under Part 1 of Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for organizing the activities of a terrorist organization.
On March 10, 2022, the Southern District Military Court of Rostov-on-Don sentenced the human rights activist Remzi Bekirov to 19 years in prison.
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