The Supreme Court has rejected the appeal against the 11-year sentence for Crimean Tatar activist and cook Yashar Shikhametov. Lawyer Emil Kurbedinov spoke about his grave physical condition.

“His health is bad. He was brought in on a gurney, he is in the hospital and can barely move. He said that he has huge problems with his spine, liver, kidneys – and a bunch of other ailments. During his detention, Yashar has become disabled. From a moral point of view, he is holding up well, his spirit is not low. He understands perfectly well that this is a test for all of us, not just for him,” the lawyer shared.

Yashar Shikhametov was charged with membership in the Islamic political party Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in the Russian Federation but operates legally in most countries around the world. According to the case file, the accused did not have a weapon, did not plan to commit a terrorist act, and did not call on others to commit terrorist acts. The reason for the arrest was a search of his home, which revealed banned literature without fingerprints.