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21 OCT 2024
Letter from Bakhrom Khamroev: ‘After a dark night, the dawn is sure to come’
21 OCT 2024
On October, 12 our colleague Bakhrom Khamroev had a birthday — the human rights defender turned 61. Now Bakhrom is in Vladimir Central prison, he was jailed on trumped-up charges.
The case of Bakhrom Khamroev
On 24 February 2022, Khamroev's flat was searched in the case of calls for terrorism on the Internet. In October, the FSB opened a second criminal case against Bakhrom. He was also accused of organising activities of a terrorist organisation (part 1 of article 205.5 of the Criminal Code of Russian Federation). Investigators considered such activities to include, for example, a report on political persecution, as well as complaints and applications to courts, including the ECHR.
In 2023, the human rights defender was sentenced to 13 years and 9 months in prison. ‘Memorial’ declared Bakhrom Khamroev a political prisoner.
Read more about Bakhrom Khamroev's persecution here.
In 2023, the human rights defender was sentenced to 13 years and 9 months in prison. ‘Memorial’ declared Bakhrom Khamroev a political prisoner.
Read more about Bakhrom Khamroev's persecution here.
Shortly before his birthday we sent a letter of congratulations to Bakhrom. The other day we received a reply and are publishing excerpts from the human rights defender's letter.
Bakhrom Khamroev
‘24 February is the date of the beginning of the tragic events, all this is sad for many good people. Many decent people were forced to leave a beautiful country, many were arrested on political charges. I was [also] illegally arrested by the Putin regime, in a few months it will be three years — 24 February 2025. All this time I have been watching more and more political prisoners every day. I managed to talk to some of them and familiarise myself with their criminal cases. During these three years I have come to the conclusion that it is better to let ten guilty ones go than to punish one innocent one.’
‘I have very little prison time left, so far everything is fine, there is no special need, my spouse does everything for me. While in prison, I do sports, read a lot, and don’t smoke. The prison rules and other measures do not frighten me, I am not in a decadent mood. Even in prison I protect people, for example, there was harassment of Muslims for Azan (call to prayer) — I intervened in this problem and we solved it finally.’
‘I go out for walks and talk to the detainees to find out what other political prisoners have arrived at the central centre. Just recently I shared the cell with a political prisoner. <…> At every morning and evening inspection I say: ‘Political prisoner Khamroev Bakhrom Mardonovich…’. Each time the officer formally says that it is enough to say ‘prisoner’, but each time I say ‘political’. There was a long struggle with the administration about this, I said: ‘Kill me, I’m going to say it like that.’ One of the managers even once said: «I know you are imprisoned for the truth."’
‘I want to inform everyone that a great many Uzbeks and Tajiks have been convicted in Russia on fabricated criminal cases. Now many of them were convoyed to this Vladimir prison from different towns. They are very young boys, and we want to help them. <…> Please give my greetings to all the members of the Memorial Centre! Hold on there, friends, for after a dark night, the dawn is sure to come.
Your sincere political prisoner Bakhrom Khamroev’.
‘I have very little prison time left, so far everything is fine, there is no special need, my spouse does everything for me. While in prison, I do sports, read a lot, and don’t smoke. The prison rules and other measures do not frighten me, I am not in a decadent mood. Even in prison I protect people, for example, there was harassment of Muslims for Azan (call to prayer) — I intervened in this problem and we solved it finally.’
‘I go out for walks and talk to the detainees to find out what other political prisoners have arrived at the central centre. Just recently I shared the cell with a political prisoner. <…> At every morning and evening inspection I say: ‘Political prisoner Khamroev Bakhrom Mardonovich…’. Each time the officer formally says that it is enough to say ‘prisoner’, but each time I say ‘political’. There was a long struggle with the administration about this, I said: ‘Kill me, I’m going to say it like that.’ One of the managers even once said: «I know you are imprisoned for the truth."’
‘I want to inform everyone that a great many Uzbeks and Tajiks have been convicted in Russia on fabricated criminal cases. Now many of them were convoyed to this Vladimir prison from different towns. They are very young boys, and we want to help them. <…> Please give my greetings to all the members of the Memorial Centre! Hold on there, friends, for after a dark night, the dawn is sure to come.
Your sincere political prisoner Bakhrom Khamroev’.
Congratulate our colleague on his past birthday or simply support him with a letter!
On paper:
600020, Vladimir region, Vladimir, Bolshaya Nizhegorodskaya street, 67, FKU T-2 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Vladimir region, Khamroev Bakhrom Mardonovich, born in 1963.
600020, Владимирская область, г. Владимир, ул. Большая Нижегородская, д. 67, ФКУ Т-2 УФСИН России по Владимирской области, Хамроеву Бахрому Мардоновичу, 1963 г. р.
Online:
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