Russia turns denial of medical care into tool against Crimean political prisoners

27.01.2026 07:30

Ukrinform

For years, Russia has been delaying an urgently needed heart surgery for Crimean political prisoner Amet Suleimanov, turning the systematic denial of medical care into a tool of slow destruction of political prisoners in occupied Crimea.

This was stated by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center (CTRC) on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

CTRC manager Zarema Bariieva recalled that Amet Suleimanov from Bakhchysarai had suffered from serious cardiovascular problems since his youth. In 2019, following a scheduled consultation at the Amosov Institute in Kyiv, 35-year-old Suleimanov was advised to undergo heart valve replacement surgery as soon as possible. He agreed to the operation, and the doctor began preparing him for the procedure.

However, in March 2020, the man was arrested, and in October 2021 he was sentenced to 12 years in a maximum-security penal colony, with the first 3.5 years to be served in prison, despite the fact that his diagnosis is included on the list of illnesses incompatible with imprisonment. The surgery planned for 2020 was never carried out.

“During his time in custody, Amet’s health has deteriorated significantly: new complications have emerged, and his blood pressure regularly rises to critical levels. Medications that his family sends to the facility in the city of Vladimir are often not delivered to him or are returned marked ‘Not permitted.’ According to a heart ultrasound conducted in October 2025, the indicators have worsened considerably. There is a very heavy load on the second valve, and it is possible that today Amet may already require replacement of not one, but two valves,” the human rights defender believes.

As reported, on October 29, 2021, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced civic journalist Amet Suleimanov to 12 years’ imprisonment under Article 205.5 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of a terrorist organization), due to alleged involvement – according to Russia’s FSB – in the Islamic organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in Russia.

According to the ZMINA Human Rights Center, one-third of prisoners in Crimea have never received medical care, and the situation of political prisoners has significantly worsened over the past two years.