02 January 2025

Political Prisoner Rustem Seitmemetov Was Diagnosed with a Group III Disability

Rustem Seitmemetov, unlawfully sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment, was diagnosed with a III group of disability following myocardial infarction and heart surgery during his detention in a correctional facility in Salavat. His wife, Zera Zeinetdinova, reported this information.

In May 2024, the 61-year-old Crimean native suffered a heart attack, after which he underwent coronary artery bypass surgery. His health deteriorated further in the following months, prompting the colony administration to transfer him to a prison hospital. After a medical examination, doctors determined that he should be classified as having a III group of disability. Since then, Seitmemetov has been required to undergo annual medical evaluations to maintain and verify his disability status.

“Before his arrest, he had no heart issues. However, his health has significantly declined over the past five years,” Zeinetdinova stated.

Rustem Seitmemetov also suffers from high blood pressure and cataracts, both of which developed during his imprisonment. Following a medical examination, doctors prescribed several medications, but most were not included in the list of drugs permitted in the colony’s medical unit.

In addition to his health issues, Seitmemetov has faced restrictions on access to religious literature. His wife sent him a translation of the Quran, but according to Seitmemetov, the book was handed over to the operational department for inspection, and he has not received it back.

The violation of human rights in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, including the unlawful imprisonment of individuals based on their ethnic and religious identities, as in the case of Rustem Seitmemetov, is part of a deliberate policy of repression by the aggressor state. Denying adequate medical care and restricting religious freedoms are acts that contravene international law. We call on the international community to intensify pressure on Russia and to facilitate the immediate release of all Ukrainian political prisoners, ensuring the protection of their rights and holding those responsible for these crimes accountable.