Human rights activists appeal providing Zeytullaev’s case with monitoring and allowing independent doctors to exam

Representatives from the Ukrainian leading human rights and public organizations appealed to foreign embassies in the Russian Federation and to the EU about a statement on an indefinite hunger strike of Ruslan Zeytullayev, the political prisoner on «Hizb ut-Tahrir case».

Human rights activists and public figures are concerned about the political prisoner’s state and appealed to the international non-governmental organizations that have missions in the Russian Federation to monitor court sessions in Zeytullayev’s case and to make political statements in support of the political prisoner.

As you know, Zeitullayev being accused of «organizing the terrorist activities», namely of organizing «Hizb ut-Tahrir» office in Crimea, announced about his indefinite hunger strike and put forward a number of demands, including to release him and other political prisoners, at a court hearing on April 4.

His lawyer, Emil Kurbedinov, informed that Zeytullaev could no longer speak standing up at the court hearing on April 14. The political prisoner lost his weight within 10 days more than 6 kg.

Representatives from the public and human rights organizations are seriously concerned about the state of the political prisoner and demand access of independent doctors to Zeytullaev's medical examination.

«We are extremely concerned about Ruslan’s state, the lack of resonance and proper response to his hunger strike, as well as the rapid increasing list of Crimean Tatars who are imprisoned for political reasons in Crimea and denied their right to religion. Therefore, we are appealing to the world community and the Ukrainian authorities with a number of requests and we rely on your support», it is said in the appeal published on Krym-SOS website.

The Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for the Affairs of Crimean Tatars, MP Mustafa Dzhemilev called on Zeytullaev the day before to stop his hunger strike.

«Surely the hunger strike primarily is aimed to draw attention to the lawlessness toward him on a background of a certain problem. In my opinion, Zeytullaev achieved something. His name got mentioned. However, this hunger strike is aimed to awaken conscience in the country that is called Russia, but it is lack of it, at least the leadership is. Therefore, it is necessary to keep the hunger strike till a certain limit, there is no need to die there», he said.

To view a full text of appeal, click on link.

To remind some facts, the Crimean Tatar political prisoner, Ruslan Zeytullayev being accused of organizing «Hizb ut-Tahrir» office in the occupied Crimea, announced about his indefinite hunger strike at a hearing of the North Caucasus District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don on April 4, 2017.

The website «15 minutes» published Zeytullayev's statement where he demanded to release him and other political prisoners.

On December 27, 2016, the Supreme Court of Russia quashed the sentence to Ruslan Zeytullaev and sent his case to a new trial.

Lawyer Emil Kurbedinov is sure that verdict will be toughened to his client.

Ruslan Zeytullaev, Rustem Vaitov, Nuri Primov and Ferat Sayfullaev were accused of creating and participating in the Sevastopol office of «Hizb ut-Tahrir». The North Caucasian Military District Court sentenced Zeytullayev to 7 years, the others to 5 years in prison.

Sayfullaev and Vaitov are sentenced in the Rostov prison, and Primov is in Yasniy Village prison, Sovetsky district, the Republic of Mari El.