WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd December, 2019) Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov has called on prominent international human rights groups to help improve the prison conditions of Russian national Roman Seleznev, jailed in the United States for cyber crimes, an open letter published by the Russian Embassy on Monday said.
"I would like to draw your attention to the grave situation with Russian citizen Roman Seleznev serving a long-term prison sentence in the United States," Antonov said in a letter, published on the Embassy's Facebook page. "Your organizations are well-known for the noble mission to defend and preserve human rights ... I would be grateful if I can rely on your kind assistance in making this issue known to public. Each prisoner has a right for human treatment and conditions regardless of charges and their nationality."
Antonov explained that Seleznev, who has been sentenced to serve 27 years in US prison, is a disabled victim of the 2011 terrorist attack in Morocco and has to take medication and remain under the care of physicians. However, the envoy pointed out, the humanitarian aspects of his case were not taken into consideration.
"Instead, in prison he must comply with special safety requirements and appear at a security check-point every two hours from 6 a.m. through 8 p.m. This even prevents him from taking his meals normally or having rest. If he is not complying with such cruel requirements he is locked away at an isolation ward," the envoy stressed. "Immediate steps to conduct medical examination of incarcerated and effective medical treatment are also required, as Mr.Seleznev suffers from hepatitis and epilepsy. Nevertheless, an MRT has never been taken."
In 2017, Seleznev was sentenced to 14 years in prison for participating in a $50-million cyberfraud ring, and was allowed to serve his time concurrently with a previous 27-year jail sentence�for cybertheft.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has strongly criticized the arrest of Seleznev in the Maldives and his extradition to the United States. The ministry characterized Seleznev's detention as kidnapping and said it was done in violation of the norms of international law.
