Father of Dagestani resident convicted for terror act asks to transfer his son to less stringent colony

Gazimagomed Gaziev, a resident of the township of Shamkhal-Station, Kirov District of Makhachkala, asks to transfer his son Shamil Gaziev, who is serving his term in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District for committing a double terror act in Kizlyar on March 31, 2010, out of a punitive confinement into a prison cell.

Gazimagomed Gaziev has directed his respective applications to the Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN), Public Prosecutor General of Russia, Human Rights Centre "Memorial" and the Office of the Russian Ombudsman.

Let us remind you that in June 2011 Shamil Gaziev, a resident of Makhachkala, was sentenced to 24 years in prison for committing a double terror act in Kizlyar on March 31, 2010.

"In the period from July 26 to August 10, my son was kept in a punitive confinement of Colony No. 8, because during his prayer he failed to greet a colony employee. We wrote a letter to the District Public Prosecutor saying that Shamil had tuberculosis and needed further examination, treatment at a specialized hospitals and transfer to another place, with more favourable climate for his health. We received an answer from the office of the penal colony No. 3 of the FSIN saying that my son had been serving his term from August 28 in the settlement of Kharp, Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District. It also became known that Shamil was placed in solitary cell. In my letter I ask the relevant authorities to clear out why my son had been transferred to a colony with more severe conditions," said Gazimagomed Gaziev.

According to his story, the answer from the District Prosecutor's Office said that "according to the internal regulations of penitentiary establishments, inmates are obliged to greet the colony personnel by standing up and addressing politely by using the word citizen', mentioning the rank and so on." "And, judging by the letter, officials have no idea of what a Muslim's prayer is, when the believer distracts from everything in the world, looks at one point, and any extraneous movement or words can spoil the prayer," said Gazimagomed Gaziev.