Crimean Tatar political prisoner Tofik Abdulhaziiev has been diagnosed with diabetes, as well as liver problems, elevated bilirubin levels, and increased heart pain. His wife, Aliye Kurtametova, reported this after a short visit on October 14 at the Chelyabinsk prison hospital.

According to Aliye, Tofik has regained his usual weight, which is considered positive news. Tuberculosis treatment has been discontinued, as doctors believe it is no longer necessary. In November, he is scheduled to undergo an X-ray to determine whether he can be discharged from the hospital.

Tofik Abdulgaziev is an activist with “Crimean Solidarity,” a sound engineer, and a participant in the “Crimean Childhood” project. Before his arrest, he supported political prisoners by delivering food to pre-trial detention centers and attending court hearings and searches. On March 27, 2019, he was arrested on fabricated charges of participating in a terrorist organization during mass raids on Crimean Tatar homes, when 23 activists and citizen journalists were detained.

In May 2023, Abdulhaziiev was sentenced to 12 years in a strict-regime penal colony, with the first five years to be served in prison. In July of the same year, he was transferred to a prison in Verkhneuralsk, located 2,700 km from his home. The conditions of detention led to a sharp deterioration in his health — he lost weight and complained of joint pain.

In March 2024, Tofik’s condition worsened dramatically, and he was transferred to Tuberculosis Hospital No. 3 in Chelyabinsk, and later to intensive care. He was diagnosed with eight serious illnesses, including tuberculosis, bilateral pneumonia, anemia, chronic heart failure, gastritis, nephrolithiasis, and others. Some of these diseases are listed under Russian law as grounds for release from custody. Earlier reports indicated that Tofik had developed tuberculosis of the lymph nodes.

In April 2024, Abdulhaziiev’s defense filed a petition for release on health grounds, but no decision has yet been made.