On 9 September 2024, authorities at the Vladimir Region Maximum Security Prison (Vladimirskiy Central Prison) denied human rights defender and lawyer Bakhrom Khamroev access to meet with his legal counsel during a scheduled visit. The prison authorities did not provide any justification for the denial. Bakhrom Khamroev’s relatives have expressed concern that he may have been subjected to further physical abuse. In January 2024, Bakhrom Khamroev endured both verbal and physical abuse, including severe beatings by prison guards targeting his legs, back, kidney area, and head, which caused him to lose consciousness. Following this incident, the prison authorities also denied access to his lawyer. Additionally, since 26 August 2024, Bakhrom Khamroev’s family has not received any letters from him, heightening concerns about his current well-being.
On 1 August 2024, the Supreme Court of Russia upheld a 13-years and 9-months imprisonment sentence against human rights defender and lawyer Bakhrom Khamroev. The court session took place with Bakhrom Khamroev participating remotely via videoconference from Vladimir Region Maximum Security Prison (Vladimirskiy Central Prison) in the Vladimir Region of Russia. In February 2024, it was reported that Bakhrom Khamroev faced harassment and physical violence in prison.
Bakhrom Khamroev is a human rights defender and lawyer working on migrant rights issues and freedom of religious belief. He is the head of Yordam, a human rights organisation that works to protect the rights of migrant workers from Central Asia in Russia. He used to collaborate with the Human Rights Centre “Memorial”, a Moscow-based human rights organisation that was shut down by the Russian authorities in December 2021. The human rights defender also assists Uzbekistani political refugees who are persecuted by the authorities of both Uzbekistan and Russia due to their human rights work and civic and political activism, as well as on the grounds of their religious beliefs.
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