18 February 2025
Political Prisoner Rustem Sheikhaliiev Was Transferred to Tuberculosis Hospital in Krasnoyarsk Krai
Citizen journalist Rustem Sheikhaliiev, sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment, has been transferred from the correctional facility in Yeniseisk to Tuberculosis Hospital No. 1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in Krasnoyarsk Krai. His wife, Suriie Sheikhaliieva, reported this in a statement to Crimean Solidarity.
According to Suriie Sheikhaliieva, her husband had been suffering from progressively worsening varicose veins in both legs for a prolonged period; however, the prison administration systematically ignored his complaints. Despite persistent pain and visible deterioration of his condition, medical personnel only prescribed ointments and pain relief medication, asserting that there was “nothing serious.” Only after his legs turned blue, became severely swollen, and the pain intensified was a decision made to transfer him to a medical facility. However, his wife has been denied any information regarding the course of treatment he is to receive.
“Before his arrest in March 2019, my husband was in perfect health. He never had any significant medical issues,” emphasized Suriie Sheikhaliieva.
Concerns regarding his health were first raised in October 2024 when Rustem Sheikhaliiev, during a family visit, reported discoloration and constant pain in his legs. At the time, his condition was assessed as “satisfactory.” However, during his trial proceedings, he suffered from frequent nosebleeds, persistent headaches resistant to pain medication, and chest pains. He suspected he was suffering from heart failure, yet no diagnostic examinations were conducted, nor was any treatment prescribed while he was in pre-trial detention.
The systematic denial of medical care has become a key instrument of pressure utilized by the Russian Federation against illegally imprisoned Ukrainian citizens in temporarily occupied Crimea and penal colonies within Russia. Critical health deterioration due to inhumane detention conditions and the absence of essential medical treatment constitutes a direct violation of fundamental human rights.
As of today, at least 221 Ukrainian citizens remain unlawfully detained by the Russian Federation, 137 of whom are Crimean Tatars. They face fabricated charges of “terrorism” and “extremism,” serving as a pretext for systematic persecution on political, ethnic, and religious grounds. These actions form part of Russia’s broader policy of repression, aimed at suppressing civic resistance and erasing Crimean Tatar identity.
We call upon international human rights institutions, intergovernmental organizations, and democratic states to intensify diplomatic and legal pressure on the Russian Federation to ensure the immediate release of all Ukrainian political prisoners unlawfully detained in Crimea and Russian penitentiary facilities.