MEPs addressed a letter to Baurzhan Berdalin, Chairman of the Committee of Criminal and Correctional System of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Internal Affairs, in which they demanded that Kozlov be transferred to a prison in close proximity to the place of residence of he and his wife, i.e. the city of Almaty.
Members of the European Parliament cited Article 68 of the Criminal Executive Code, according to which the convict should serve his sentence in the closest penal colony situated to his place of residence.
Kozlov is currently serving time in Petropavlovsk, 1700 km away from Almaty. The distance and brutal weather conditions during winter may soon prevent Kozlov's wife, Aliya Turusbekova , who is currently six months pregnant, from visiting her husband completely.
Both Kozlov and Aliya Turusbekova have filed petitions to transfer him, but the requests have been denied. Therefore, Members of European Parliament addressed a written inquiry to Baurzhan Berdalin, requesting that he explain the reason behind the rejected petitions.
At the same time, MEPs expressed their concerns over Vladimir Kozlov's health condition. His elevated blood pressure may lead to serious consequences such as a heart attack. International human rights organisations reported that Kozlov is not being given adequate medical treatment in prison. MEPs call for the provision of specialist medical treatment.
Throughout his incarceration (1 year and 9 months), no international observers have been permitted to visit him in order to ascertain the state of his health. In the letter, members of the European Parliament state that this visit is necessary, if transparency is to be ensured.
The letter was signed by Sonia Alfano, Paul Murphy, Leonidas Donskis and others.
