Sick writer Zakhar Zaripov released in Chechnya

Zakhar Zaripov, a writer and an oncology patient, convicted of an appeal to the head of Chechnya, has been released from the SIZO (pre-trial prison).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the military appellate court had replaced Zakhar Zaripov's five-year prison term assigned for his appeal to Ramzan Kadyrov, with a fine. After a surgery due to cancer, half of Zaripov's face is paralyzed and his vision has deteriorated. On November 28, Zaripov still remained at the SIZO, despite the cancellation of his punishment associated with imprisonment. The SIZO administration refused to release him until they received the text of the ruling.

"Now he is with his family," the "RusNews" Telegram channel has informed.

Let us remind you that on April 1, 2024, the court sentenced Zaripov to five years in jail for his public appeal to the head of Chechnya. A linguistic expertise found signs of "incitement to an armed seizure of power with the aim of violating the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation" in Zaripov's appeal. In August, Zaripov's advocate reported that his client had been diagnosed with cancer. In September, the convict's relatives said that the disease was progressing, but the SIZO failed to provide him with the needed efficient treatment.