As of today, Teimur and Uzeir Abdullaiev, illegally convicted Crimean Tatar activists, remain in critical detention conditions at a colony in Salavat, Bashkortostan. Since his arrival at the colony five years ago, Teimur has not been transferred to the colony’s general unit even once. Immediately upon his arrival, the colony administration unjustifiably placed him in a punitive isolation cell, where he has been continuously held. His detention is regularly extended based on fabricated accusations of “violations.”
According to their mother, Diliara Abdullaieva, systemic violations of detention conditions have already caused significant harm to her sons’ health. Teimur suffers from hypertensive crises, chronic joint pain, kidney dysfunction, and gastrointestinal disorders. Prolonged confinement in damp, cold punitive isolation cells, especially under severe winter conditions, has further exacerbated his physical condition. She emphasizes that Teimur often loses consciousness due to intolerable conditions and a lack of proper medical care.
Diliara notes that prolonged confinement in punitive isolation cell amounts to systematic mistreatment aimed not just at isolation but at methodically destroying her son’s will and health. She recounts receiving cynical responses from the colony administration, one of which was: “If he dies, we’ll let you know.”
Despite an acute need for medication, Teimur’s access to essential drugs remains severely restricted. He has requested pain relievers for joint treatment, blood pressure medication, and remedies for stomach issues, yet the colony administration has obstructed these requests, creating artificial barriers.
Teimur’s detention conditions are particularly alarming. He is held in a two-meter cell with icy walls, furnished only with a stool. The bed is secured to the wall from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., forcing him to either stand or sit all day, further deteriorating his condition. Diliara recounts that her son often speaks of persistent pain caused by prolonged periods on the concrete floor, which led to serious kidney and bladder infections. Teimur’s health has long been on the brink, but the colony administration continues to ignore numerous warnings about the dangers to his life.
The situation for his brother, Uzeir Abdullaіev, is equally dire. Despite a confirmed diagnosis by medical professionals of an acquired heart defect, the colony administration persistently sends him to a punitive isolation cell. In April 2023, he spent 10 days in isolation for a “violation” — drying a towel over his bed. After this period, a doctor acknowledged that his punitive isolation confinement posed a threat to his health. Nevertheless, the colony administration repeatedly disregards medical recommendations, subjecting Uzeir to inhumane conditions.
Brothers Teimur and Uzeir Abdullaiev, detained on October 12, 2016, during mass searches in the village of Strohonivka, Simferopol district, have been unlawfully imprisoned for over seven years. On June 18, 2019, the so-called court in Rostov-on-Don illegally sentenced Teimur to 17 years in a high-security penal colony with an additional restriction of freedom for 1 year and 6 months, and Uzeir to 12.5 years in a high-security penal colony. Teimur has 10 more years of illegal imprisonment to serve under inhumane conditions. The brothers urgently require medical help, legal assistance and immediate release.
Persistent human rights violations, including torture, inhumane detention conditions, and denial of medical care, are integral to Russia’s repressive policies targeting illegally detained Ukrainian citizens based on ethnic, political, and religious grounds. We call on international human rights organizations and democratic states to intensify pressure on Russia to secure the release of Teimur and Uzeir Abdullaiev, as well as all other illegally detained Ukrainian political prisoners.