Russian prison guards forbid journalist Remzi Bekirov from praying – says his wife

A Crimean resident convicted in russia, Remzi Bekirov, who is serving time in a penal colony in the city of Abakan, Republic of Khakassia, is forbidden by local correctional officers to pray. He is sent to a penal colony every time he prays. His wife, Khalide Bekirova, reported this on her Facebook page.

According to her, a trial was held on February 20 regarding Bekirov‘s illegal transfer to a detention center.

“I am constantly faced with a choice: either to pray and receive punishment for this in a detention center or not to pray and receive punishment for this on the Day of Judgment. In my last words at the trial, I said that “prisons will not be able to break our faith.” I hope that I will be able to prove that this is so. And I hope that the public will pay attention to what is happening here, in the colony, to the fact that the declared freedom of religion is not observed here. I appeal to public organizations to resolve this problem so that we are allowed to pray and fast freely. These are elementary rights. We have the right to this,” said Remzi Bekirov in court.

The woman did not specify whether the court made a decision.

In March 2019, russian security forces conducted searches in Crimea in the homes of Crimean Tatar activists, in particular representatives of the public association Crimean Solidarity. In total, 24 people were detained, among them citizen journalists Osman Arifmemetov, Rustem Sheikhaliev, and Remzi Bekirov. On March 27 and 28, 2019, a russian court in Simferopol arrested all those detained. On March 10, 2022, a judge at the russian Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Remzi Bekirov to 19 years in prison.

The Memorial Human Rights Center recognized 24 Crimean Tatar activists detained by russian security forces in Crimea on March 27, 2019, including Remzi Bekirov, as political prisoners.

The NUJU has repeatedly demanded the release of Remzi Bekirov due to his illegal conviction and violation of his civil and professional rights.

NUJU Information Service