Crimean Tatar political prisoner denied medical care

Crimean Tatar Edem Smailov, serving a 13-year sentence in Correctional Colony No. 1 in Kostroma, has been unable to receive adequate medical care for almost a year. Since his transfer to the colony in January 2025, his request for a dental consultation has remained unanswered.

Previously, in Correctional Colony No. 7 in the Kostroma Region, Smailov was placed on medical records for pyelonephritis, deteriorating vision, and other health issues.

Upon arrival at Correctional Colony No. 1, the Crimean Tatar was immediately placed in a cell-type unit (PKT). Smailov has also been held in strict conditions in Correctional Colony No. 7 since February 2024. He was also regularly placed in solitary confinement and a punishment cell. According to Smailov's wife, the penalties are imposed on him to prevent the possibility of parole.

On September 16, 2022, the Southern District Military Court of Rostov-on-Don sentenced Edem Smailov to 13 years in prison. He was charged with membership in the Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is designated a terrorist organization in the Russian Federation. However, he denied guilt and claimed he was being persecuted for his religious beliefs.

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