Crimean Tatar political prisoner illegally denied transfer closer to home
Since January 2024, Crimean Tatar political prisoner Arsen Abkhairov has been in IK-8 in Ulan-Ude (Buryatia) – seven thousand kilometers from home. The Federal Penitentiary Service has twice illegally refused to transfer him closer to home, despite court decisions.
First, the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow found the Federal Penitentiary Service's refusal to transfer the prisoner closer to his family illegal. Then, the Krasnogvardeisky District Court of Crimea found the ignoring of Abkhairov's request "unmotivated."
"Because of the distance, we cannot take advantage of either short-term or long-term visits, and we cannot see with our own eyes what moral, physical and emotional state Arsen is in. There is also a violation of private family life, since the husband cannot take part in raising our children, and the children are deprived of their father's attention and care," said the wife of the Crimean Tatar, Azize Abkhairov.
Earlier, the political prisoner complained of toothache and lack of qualified medical care. In addition, after being transferred, his varicose veins worsened.
In 2020, the Southern Military Court sentenced businessman Arsen Abkhairov to 13 years in prison. He was accused of belonging to the Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in Russia. In many countries around the world, the organization operates without restrictions at the level of national legislation.
