Elena Patyaeva—a friend of Seda Suleymanova, who disappeared three years ago after being forcibly returned from St. Petersburg to Chechnya—was detained in Grozny. On August 23, Patyaeva stood by the monument to journalists who died for freedom of speech, holding a sign that read: "I demand an investigation into the murder of Seda Suleymanova." This was reported by the human rights project "Slovo Zashchite" (Word for the Defense).
Political prisoner Tofik Abdulgaziev, sentenced to 12 years in prison, has lost 15 kg since July of this year. This was reported by his wife and son who visited him. The man is serving time in the Verkhneuralsk prison in the Chelyabinsk region.
Due to regular hypothermia, Tofik developed pain in the joints of his arms and legs, which periodically intensified. He cannot move normally or go for a walk.
Before his arrest, Tofik Abdulgaziev participated in organizing events for the children of Crimean Tatar political prisoners. He was an activist of the public association “Crimean Solidarity”, a sound engineer, and a participant in the “Crimean Childhood” project.
In May 2022, the Southern District Military Court of Rostov-on-Don sentenced Tofik Abdulgaziev to 12 years in prison. He, like hundreds of other Crimean Tatars, was accused of participating in the Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is recognized as terrorist in the Russian Federation. At the same time, in the criminal case there is no information about the planning or implementation of terrorist attacks, as well as calls for them.