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).
Crimean Tatar Rustem Seitmemetov was diagnosed with cataracts in both eyes. He needs an operation, but it is impossible to carry it out in prison, the project “Support for Political Prisoners” reported. Memorial".
Rustem Seitmemetov has not only lost his eyesight, but his blood pressure is constantly rising. A doctor was called to prison No. 1 of Dimitrovgrad, Ulyanovsk region several times, who provided only symptomatic assistance.
Rustem Seitmemetov was detained in March 2020 in Bakhchisaray. He, like hundreds of other Crimean Tatars, was accused of participating in the Islamic organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, banned in the Russian Federation. There is not a single piece of evidence in the case file that the accused had a weapon, planned to commit a terrorist attack and encouraged others to do so. The accusation is based on audio recordings of discussions of politics and religion in mosques in Bakhchisarai. For this, the man was sentenced to 13 years in prison.