On 31st of March Ms Hautala sent a letter to Vladimir Lukin, Ombudsman of the Russian Federation; Vladimirovic Konovalov, Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation and Colonel Andrei Vladimirovich Misiura Director of prison FBU UP-288-T calling for appropriate medical care to be give to Mr Zubair Isaevich Zubairaev, who is in prison in Minusinsk.[:]

Dear Mr Konovalov,

On behalf of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights, I express deep concern over the information that we have received concerning the health of Zubair Isaevich Zubairaev, an ethnic Chechen imprisoned at FBU UP-288-T, Minusinsk. According to Amnesty International Zubair Isaevich Zubairaev might have problems with his spine, which causes him pain and impairs his movement, paralyzing in his fingers and perhaps also epilepsy.

I am convinced that Zubair Isaevich Zubairaev is in urgent need of appropriate medical care and for this purpose should be moved to hospital without delay. The director of the prison should promptly grant permission for this.

As the Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, I join the calls of Amnesty International on the prison authorities to abide by the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and allow Zubair Isaevich Zubairaev to receive the treatment he needs.

Access to health care in serious cases is a human right of grave importance. The Russian authorities should thus also note that under the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person with the consent of a person acting in an official capacity, can constitute torture.

In my capacity as the Chairwoman of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights I will continue to monitor the human rights situation especially concerning the treatment of people in detention in the Russian Federation and the authorities’ commitment to upholding the rights under the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment to which Russian Federation is a party.

I would welcome the opportunity to hear from you on your Government’s response to our serious concerns.

Yours sincerely,
Heidi HAUTALA