In Russia there is an old saying: «We thought it was the bottom, but then someone knocked from below.» It seems that the system is content to deal with dissenters by sentencing them to long terms in strict regime colonies. After all, this regime is no picnic, especially in Russia. But no, apparently that’s not enough. Recently, Navalny was not only given a new sentence of almost twenty years, but also transferred to a special, even harsher regime. We are not his fans, but we have to admit that he is not being tortured for what he once said about hijabs or «rats,» but for speaking out against this criminal regime and criticizing the war it is waging.
But while the world is hearing about Navalny’s torture, almost no one is talking about what is happening to representatives of Muslim communities. And that’s why we should talk about it. On August 3, at the request of the administration of the strict regime colony where he is serving his sentence, the court in Chita decided to transfer Airat Dilmukhametov, one of the leaders of the Bashkir national movement, to a special regime. He was sentenced to 9 years in prison for his ideas alone and sent to a strict regime colony in Siberia. But this was not enough for the system — now they plan to transfer him to an institution like the «Black Dolphin». Not as a leader of an armed group, not as a murderer, both of whom are currently being released under amnesty, but as a politician and thinker who is only guilty of expressing his views.
By the way, about the «Black Dolphins». Our prisoners in such institutions are under pressure, if not physical (which is almost always the case), then psychological. Recently, an anonymous source informed us that in one of these facilities, in early August, a well-known Muslim prisoner was beaten to death. We have neither confirmation nor refutation of this information. But in any case, it is either physical torture or psychological torture if such news is used to torment the prisoners’ relatives.
We will keep an eye on the fate of both Airat and other known brothers and sisters — prisoners — and inform readers as much as possible. And we ask you to pray for them and to remember who is imprisoning and torturing them and what needs to be done to secure their freedom.