^{photo: Crimean Solidarity}

After a month of suspense, Adile Akhtemova, Aziz's wife, finally received a letter from her husband. This time, it was from Novosibirsk, where he had been forcibly taken by the Russians after being taken from Krasnoyarsk. From the letter it became known that this place is not the last stop.

Aziz Akhtemov says that it is extremely difficult to send a letter to his family from Siberian prisons, as security forces take him around in circles:

"All the time since I left prison, I was taken from one place to another and back again. So I couldn't send a letter, because it doesn't work there...” he writes.

Aziz complains that he is being fed very poorly, and is forbidden to leave the cells where he is being thrown. Human rights activists consider the lack of food and fresh air to be a way of putting pressure on political prisoners.

^{Aziz Akhtemov with his wife Adile and daughter Asiye}

Neither the 28-year-old Crimean man nor his relatives nor his lawyers have been informed where he is being taken. Judging by the route Yeniseisk-Krasnoyarsk-Novosibirsk, we can assume that the final point of transfer is either the Altai Territory, where there are many “penal colonies,” or the Omsk Region. Crimean political prisoners have already been transferred to the Omsk colony. It was there that the defendants in the so-called “Crimean saboteurs” case were held captive. Dmytro Shtyblikov from Sevastopol is still in a Russian prison, but in Rostov. Yevhen Panov was released as a result of an exchange in 2019.

Aziz's younger sister, Ayshe Akhtemova, says that her parents hoped that he would be transferred at least closer to Crimea, so that they could go on their first date in three years. However, the couple has neither the health nor the money to travel 5,000 kilometers.

"He was very exhausted on these roads, he said he had only one tea. I hope that my brother will not suffer anymore and will reach his destination,” Ayshe Akhtemova tells CEMAAT.

When asked why Aziz writes letters in a language other than his native Russian, his sister explains: it is forbidden to write in Crimean Tatar from a Russian prison.

Read here how his 5-year-old daughter is waiting for Aziz Akhtemov's return.

There is no news about the possible exchange of the Akhtemov brothers. However, the former defendant in the fabricated case against them, Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis Nariman Celâl, reported on the work to release Ukrainian political prisoners in one of the broadcasts of CEMAAT. According to Celâl, Turkish Ombudsman Şeref Malkoç spoke with his Russian counterpart Tatyana Moskalkova on this topic. For this purpose, Celâl says, Turkish representatives even traveled to Moscow. But so far, there has been no progress, at least not publicly.

Another defendant in the case, Aziz's brother, Asan Akhtemov, is also being held in Russia, but in a different place - the notorious Vladimir Central Detention Center.

_{Aziz Akhtemov, Nariman Celâl, and Asan Akhtemov. Photo: Elmaz Qırımlı}

On September 4, 2021, the FSB abducted Aziz Akhtemov and his brother Asan from their homes. Later, the occupiers detained Crimean Tatar politician Nariman Celâl. All three were accused of sabotage by fabricating a case of damage to a gas pipeline in the village of Angara (Perevalne) in the summer of 2021.

^{Akhtemov brothers on Mount Chatyrdag in Crimea. Photo: Facebook page of Aziz Akhtemov}

Crimean Tatar activists were severely tortured, demanding that they take the blame. A year later, the self-proclaimed Supreme Court of Crimea sentenced the Akhtemov brothers and Nariman Dzhelal to 13 to 17 years in maximum security. Nariman Dzhelial was released as a result of an exchange in June this year.

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