Crimean Tatar political prisoner fails to challenge placement in punishment cell for performing namaz
The Kirovsky District Court of the Republic of Crimea rejected Remzi Bekirov's claim against the administration of IK-33 in Khakassia. Earlier, the Crimean Tatar citizen journalist was placed in a punishment cell for five days for performing morning namaz.
According to Bekirov, a prison officer filed a report on him, since the Muslim allegedly violated the daily routine of the correctional facility. Instead of praying, he was required to watch TV, namely the MUZ-TV channel, a prison officer said in court. Bekirov, however, stated that he was exercising his right to freedom of religion, enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
Since August 2024, Remzi Bekirov has often been placed in punishment cell, and in October he was transferred to strict conditions of detention. According to his wife, these measures were applied under various pretexts: because of nighttime prayer, or because he did not greet a prison officer or did not put on a hat. Earlier, the FSIN refused for the fifth time to transfer Remzi Bekirov from Khakassia to a prison closer to his home in Crimea.
In March 2022, the Southern District Military Court of Rostov-on-Don sentenced Remzi Bekirov to 19 years in prison. He was found guilty of participating in the Islamic party Hiz ut-Tahrir, which is recognized as a terrorist organization in the Russian Federation.
