The health of four Crimean Tatar political prisoners from the Seytumerov family, currently held in Russian detention facilities, continues to deteriorate. According to the Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, they are not receiving necessary medical care despite serious health issues.

The agency reports that Abdulmedzhit Seytumerov is suffering from severe pain, losing consciousness, and losing teeth. His brothers, Osman and Seytumer, are also experiencing tooth decay and rapidly worsening eyesight.

Another figure in the case—their uncle, Rustem Seytmemetov—previously suffered a heart attack and is classified as having a Group III disability. He is currently complaining of heart pain and sharp fluctuations in blood pressure.

The persecution of the Seytumerov family began following mass raids conducted by Russian security forces in Crimea—which had come under Russian control—in the spring of 2020. The relatives were later accused of involvement with the Islamic organization Hizb ut-Tahrir. While Russia has designated the group a terrorist organization and banned it since 2003, it remains legal in Ukraine and most other countries.

Osman and Seytumer Seytumerov have already received lengthy prison sentences—17 and 14 years, respectively. Their brother, Abdulmedzhit, is a defendant in the case known as the "Fifth Bakhchysarai Hizb ut-Tahrir Group" case. Several other Crimean Tatar activists are facing prosecution alongside him.

Human rights defenders and Ukrainian authorities consider these cases politically motivated and link them to the persecution of Crimean Tatars and civic activists on the peninsula. Amidst their ongoing detention, relatives and defenders of political prisoners regularly report a deterioration in the detainees' conditions of confinement and health.