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 organization 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 organization that was shut down by the Russian authorities in December 2021. The human rights defender also assists Uzbekistani political refugees persecuted by the authorities of both Uzbekistan and Russia due to their human rights work, civic and political activism, and religious beliefs.
Bakhrom Khamroev is a human rights activist who has been helping migrants from Central Asia for 20 years. He was sentenced to almost 14 years in prison on several charges related to "terrorism" pic.twitter.com/jYRJJVLOXF
— Mediazona English (@mediazona_en) June 12, 2024
On 1 August 2024, the Human Rights Center “Memorial” reported that the Supreme Court of Russian Federation considered the cassation appeal and upheld a 13-years and 9-months of imprisonment sentence against Bakhrom Khamroev. His interest at the hearing was represented by his lawyer Oksana Olgerd, while Bakhrom Khamroev was not physically present and attended virtually. The initial decision was handed down by the Second Western District Military Court of Moscow in May 2023, which convicted human rights defender and lawyer of alleged “justification of terrorism on the Internet” and “participation in the activities of a terrorist organization”, sentencing him to 14 years in prison. On 10 October 2023, the Military Court of Appeals reduced Bakhrom Khamorev’s sentence by only 1 month, upholding the decision of the Second Western District Military Court of Moscow.
Bakhrom Khamroev was transferred to Vladimirskiy Central Prison in December 2023. Since then, the Human Rights Center “Memorial” and his lawyer reported that he experienced mistreatment and physical violence. On 9 February 2024, he was placed in a punishment cell for five days following a report that the prison authorities subjected him to physical violence on 23 January 2024.
Supreme Court of Russia Upholds sentence against Rights Lawyer Bakhrom Khamroev
