Convict in "Hizb ut-Tahrir"* case complains about absence of treatment in Novocherkassk penal colony

Doctors in the Novocherkassk colony fail to provide the due medicines to Ruslan Suleimanov, convicted for participation in the "Hizb ut-Tahrir"*, who suffers from a congenital heart defect and tachycardia.

According to Svetlana Oleksenko, an advocate, Ruslan Suleimanov, the convicted activist, had repeatedly turned to administration of the penal colony in Novocherkassk for medical help, as he has the above heart problems.

The colony doctor visited Suleimanov once and prescribed motherwort and glycine as medicines. Suleimanov refused these medications, asking to be prescribed medicines without alcohol. Doctors told him that they have no such medicines, says the website of the human rights project "Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial".

Suleimanov has complained that his cell was damp; the heating was only switched on since October 16 only; and before that he had to sleep in his jacket. According to his story, on October 5, he was transferred to a solitary cell, and since then his bed linen has not been changed.

In November 2022, Suleimanov was found guilty of acting in the above terrorist organization and preparing for an armed seizure of power. The court sentenced him to 14 years in prison, the "Crimean Solidarity" public organization has noted.

The "Caucasian Knot" has also reported that on November 9, Remzi Memetov, convicted of participating in the "Hizb ut-Tahrir"* and serving his term in a penal colony in the Stavropol Territory, complained about his deteriorated health in jail and need of medical treatment.

*An international pan-Islamist and fundamentalist political organization whose stated aim is the re-establishment of the Islamic caliphate. In 2003, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation recognized "Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami" as a terrorist organization and banned its activities.