A/HRC/7/10/Add.1 page 53 Russian Federation Urgent appeal sent on 16 May 2007 jointly with the Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health 222. The Special Procedures mandate holders brought to the attention of the Government information they had received regarding Mr. Dias Rafikov, a Russian national born in 1986, currently in pre-trial detention in Kazan city, Tatarstan. According to the information received, Mr. Rafikov, a practicing Muslim, was arrested by police officials on the early morning of 7 December 2006, and accused under articles 205, part 1, 272, and 282-1, parts 1 and 2, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, for involvement in terrorist activities, establishment of an extremist organization, participation in an extremist organization and preparation of a change of the constitutional order by violence. 223. Upon his arrest, the police conducted a search and seized several copies of Islamic literature, films, and other documents. Mr. Rafikov was accused of having acted on behalf of Hizb ut-Tahrir al-Islami, a party whose activities were banned in the Russian Federation by a decision of the Supreme Court in 2003. However, Mr. Rafikov allegedly had no links with this organization or with Islamic extremism. The police seized only Islamic literature, whereas in his home there were also Christian and Hindu materials. Mr. Rafikov was interested in religion in general and is a first-year student in psychology. Many of the witnesses during the seizure did not pay attention to the police acts and it is not certain that all the materials recorded as seized had actually been present in his house prior to the seizure. 224. Mr. Rafikov suffered from several diseases. His father requested a copy of his medical record from the district medical unit to show it to the pre-trial detention centre authorities in order for his son to receive the necessary medical treatment. The medical personnel refused to issue a copy of the medical record, claiming that Mr. Rafikov was an extremist. This refusal was reportedly due to acts of intimidation against the medical personnel carried out by members of the Security Services, who had visited the medical unit earlier than Mr. Rafikov’s father. Mr. Rafikov’s arrest and detention were ordered by a court and his pre-trial detention was extended by courts on two occasions. 225. Concern is expressed that the arrest and detention of Mr. Rafikov is solely connected to his peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of opinion and expression and to freedom of religion or belief. Further concern is expressed as regards Mr. Rafikov’s state of health and the fact that the proceedings against him may have been instigated in order to enhance statistics relating to activities in the fight against terrorism. Response from the government dated 30 July 2007 226. The Government informed that regarding the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Dias Albertovich Rafikov, it has been ascertained that, following investigations by the authorities of the Russian Federal Security Service, the above-mentioned citizen of the Russian Federation was charged under the following articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: 205.1 (Abetting terrorism); 282.1 (Setting up an extremist organization); 282.2 (Organizing the