29 October 2026, 19:17
Crimean political prisoner Tofik Abdulgaziev was released from a Russian prison
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Tofik Abdulgaziev. PHOTO: Refat Chubarov
Crimean Tatar political prisoner Tofik Abdulgaziev has been released from a Russian penal colony. Despite his diagnosed cancer and poor health, Russian authorities delayed his release for eight months.
This was reported on his Facebook page by Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People.
He was released on Monday, October 26. By October 29, he had already returned to the temporarily occupied Crimea.
Refat Chubarov noted that everyone who knew about his release had tacitly agreed not to publish this information until Tofik arrived home.
Tofik Abdulgaziev was sentenced to 12 years in prison on politically motivated charges. During his imprisonment, he became seriously ill.
According to Refat Chubarov, as early as February 26, 2026, a medical commission report was issued, establishing that Abdulgaziev has a condition included in the List of Illnesses Precluding the Serving of a Sentence. On the same day, the relevant documents were sent to the court. However, the issue of his release was not resolved at that time. Instead, the political prisoner was sent for another medical examination.
It was not until July 29, 2026, that the medical commission once again confirmed that Tofik Abdulgaziev suffers from a condition that is incompatible with his detention in a prison facility.
