Rights defenders report health worsening of Chechnya native in deportation prison in Belgium

Since 2019, Islam Albakov, a native of Chechnya, has been kept in a deportation prison in Belgium; his health condition has deteriorated greatly, he is almost blind, but does not receive full medical care, Fatima Gazieva, a human rights defender, has stated.

According to Fatima Gazieva, who heads the human rights organization Women of World for Peace on Earth and represents the European Peace House in Belgium, she was approached by the mother of the 39-year-old Islam Albakov. According to the mother, during Islam's years in prison he became almost blind. Relatives came to Belgium to give him glasses, but they were not accepted. Besides, Albakov is not provided with full medical care. He himself said that he was given injections, but they did not say the name of the drug, the "Kavkaz.Realii"* project has reported.

The project explains that Islam Albakov and his brother Imran were detained in 2018 in France. They were wanted by Interpol because in Russia they were accused of participating in an illegal armed formation (IAF). A court in Lyon acquitted the Albakovs, after which Islam went to his family in Belgium, where he was again detained in February 2019.

Ms Gazieva has noted that in 2020 the issue of Albakov's deportation to Russia arose again, but human rights defenders and members of the Chechen Diaspora held several rallies and also appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). They succeeded in cancelling the deportation, but Albakov remained in the deportation prison without seeing any charges or sentence.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.