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Crimean Tatar Journalist Remzi Bekirov Punished in Russian Prison for Daily Muslim Prayers
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Remzi Bekirov, a Crimean Tatar journalist and human rights defender, continues to be held in solitary confinement at Penal Colony No. 33 in Abakan, Russia, reportedly for performing his five daily prayers, his family told ZMINA Human Rights Center on July 14.
According to his relatives, the colony administration has repeatedly placed Bekirov in a punishment cell, prolonging his isolation each time he attempts to observe religious rituals.
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In personal letters, Bekirov has described enduring harsh imprisonment conditions, with no indication that pressure from the prison authorities is easing. His family has attempted to challenge the conditions in court, but their appeals have been dismissed. Complaints to the Russian Prosecutor’s Office and the country’s Human Rights Commissioner have so far gone unanswered.
“The problem is that the internal regulations of this colony do not allow five-time prayer,” one of Bekirov’s relatives explained. “Technically, the order itself must be challenged. But the truth is, everyone has the right to practice their religion. It’s impossible to even count how many times he’s been sent to solitary over this. Remzi is outraged—and so are we—because prayer is not a crime.”
Earlier this year, Bekirov’s lawyer also reported that during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, inmates were not permitted to eat before sunrise or after sunset, violating basic religious rights. In May, the lawyer added that Bekirov was denied access to perform namaz .
In a separate case, the Supreme Court of Khakassia recently rejected Bekirov’s appeal against Federal Penitentiary Service officers. He argued that being constantly watched while using the toilet during his transfer from one facility to another was a violation of his human dignity.
Bekirov, a correspondent for Grani and a member of the human rights movement “Crimean Solidarity,” was arrested in March 2019 during a wave of FSB raids targeting Crimean Tatar communities near Simferopol. Along with over 20 others, he was accused of involvement with Hizb ut-Tahrir—an Islamic organization that operates legally in many countries but is banned in Russia.
On March 10, 2022, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Bekirov to 19 years in prison on terrorism-related charges widely condemned by international rights groups as politically motivated.
Previously, it was reported that Russian authorities have increasingly deployed Interpol “red notices” against Crimean Tatars abroad—a practice critics say serves as a tool of political persecution rather than genuine criminal justice.
