In the colony, the defendant in the "Crimean Muslims' case" is not allowed to perform morning prayer
In the colony No. 9 of Petrozavodsk, the Crimean Tatar activist Rustem Seytkhalilov, sentenced to 14 years, is not allowed to perform morning prayer. This was reported on the Facebook page of the human rights organization "Crimean Solidarity".
The Crimean Tatar complained to his wife Elzara that convicted Muslims are allowed to pray "only at their own time, which does not always coincide with the time of prayer." Thus, the restrictions apply to the entire five-time prayer during the day.
"For a practicing Muslim, this is a significant problem and an infringement of his rights to observe his religion as it should be," explained Elzara Seytkhalilova.
In addition, after being taken from prison to the colony in October 2024, Rustem Seytkhalilov's Koran was taken away and never returned.
His wife also said that the man suffers from headaches and lower back pain in the colony.
In 2024, the activist was put in solitary confinement for 14 days. Nothing is known about the reasons for his placement.
In March 2022, Seytkhalilov and four other people were found guilty of participating in the activities of a terrorist organization and preparing to overthrow the government. They were accused of ties to the Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir, banned in the Russian Federation.
Since January 2015, criminal cases on Hizb ut-Tahrir have been opened en masse in Crimea, which came under the de facto control of Russia. The party's activities are not banned in Ukraine. Before the peninsula came under Russian control, the organization's activists published a newspaper, could speak openly in the media, and hold mass public events.
According to human rights activists, the party members are being persecuted not for preparing a coup d'etat or terrorism, but for criticizing the Russian authorities and the repressions in Crimea. In most countries of the world, Hizb ut-Tahrir operates without restrictions.
