Ukrainian ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets has raised concerns over the deteriorating health of Crimean political prisoner Nariman Dzhelyal, citing harsh detention conditions and denial of necessary medication by Russian occupiers. Dzhelyal, who is currently held in the FSB detention centre in Simferopol, is reported to be suffering from increased pain in his spine.
According to Leviz Dzhelyal, the wife of the political prisoner, her husband's spinal problems worsened after being transferred to the new detention centre. While Dzhelyal already had back problems, the change in location is believed to have exacerbated his condition. Compounding the issue, the current detention centre restricts Dzhelyal's ability to rest in bed from 6:00 to 22:00, placing additional strain on his back and intensifying his pain.
The political prisoner has been denied access to doctors, with only a cursory examination conducted in the medical unit. When Dzhelyal requested the return of his painkillers, the prison doctors callously laughed off his plea.
Dzhelyal is currently suffering from an inflammatory process and has three herniated discs. Despite appeals and complaints from his family and legal representatives, their concerns have gone unanswered. He has recently been transferred from a quarantine cell to a general one, further heightening fears for his well-being.
Lubinets condemned the failure to provide adequate medical care to Ukrainian citizens unlawfully detained by the Russian Federation. He asserted that such systemic negligence, in accordance with the Geneva Convention, amounts to torture and flagrantly violates the inherent right to life.
Nariman Dzhelyal was arrested on 6 Septembe 2021, by a Russian-controlled court in occupied Simferopol. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) accuses him, along with two other Crimean Tatars, Aziz and Asan Akhtemov, who are his cousins, of allegedly blowing up a gas pipeline in the village of Perevalne.
On 21 September 2022, the Russia-controlled Supreme Court of occupied Crimea handed down a 17-year prison sentence to Nariman Dzhelyal, to be served in a strict regime colony. Additionally, he has been ordered to pay a fine of 700,000 rubles and will face restrictions on his rights for a year and a half upon completing his sentence.