The wife of a imprisoned Crimean journalist traveled 2,000 kilometers only to learn that her husband is slowly fading away behind bars in Russia. Amet Suleymanov, sentenced by Russia to 12 years in jail, suffers from persistently high blood pressure, chronic pain, and a rash of unknown origin. 

His wife, Lilia Lumanova, says Suleymanov is in critical condition.

“We are, of course, very concerned about his condition, especially his health… The only thought was — I had to go,” Lumanova wrote on social media, after traveling 2,000 kilometers to the penal colony in Russia’s city of Vladimir.

She was allowed to see her husband only through glass, for 2.5 hours, and their conversation focused mostly on his health. Suleymanov continues to have serious heart problems. Even before his sentencing, doctors recommended urgent surgery to replace a heart valve, but there has been no progress.

“Amet needs a valve replacement. In these conditions, it’s a difficult and lengthy process. But I had to try,” Lumanova said after meeting with the colony’s warden.

In 2021, a Russian court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Suleymanov to 12 years in prison on terrorism charges over alleged ties to the organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is legal in Ukraine but banned in Russia.

“A surprised look, joy in his eyes… As always, Amet stayed himself, he even joked,” Lumanova recalled about the brief visit, possibly the last.

His lawyer Lilia Hemedzhi called the sentence a death sentence due to Suleymanov’s serious medical conditions, UkrInform reports. 

Earlier, the UN Committee Against Torture urged Russia not to enforce the sentence, saying it was incompatible with Suleymanov’s health. The organization demanded immediate medical examination and urgent treatment. 

Despite repeated warnings from the UN Committee Against Torture, which urged Russia not to enforce the verdict and called for immediate medical care, Suleymanov remains imprisoned in harsh conditions.