17 August 2024
OVD-Info is a Russian civil society organisation that monitors politically-motivated arrests and prosecutions in Russia. Each week OVD-Info publishes a bulletin with the latest news, which is translated here. To receive the mailing in Russian, visit here.
News
Investigative Committee announces cause of Aleksei Navalny’s death; imprisoned ex-Communist Party Duma Deputy not informed of tumour in chest; and 11 Ekaterinburg ‘citizens of the USSR’ have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment.
Investigative Committee declines to press criminal charges in relation to Aleksei Navalny’s death. According to the Investigative Committee, Navalny died as a result of ‘a combination of illnesses.’ The authorities announced that the opposition leader suffered a hypertensive crisis, disrupting his heartbeat and causing hypertensive encephalopathy as a result of a cerebral edema. They said Navalny became ill whilst walking outside, he was taken to the sick bay and paramedics were called who tried to resuscitate him, but they ‘failed to produce a positive outcome.’ Navalny died in a penal colony in Kharp on 16 February.
- Why is this important? Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, branded the results of the investigation a ‘mockery,’ pointing out in particular that Navalny’s heart failure was declared to be the result of arrythmia while he was in prison, which is a condition which cannot be diagnosed after death. She added that the prison authorities are still refusing to hand over Navalny’s things to his lawyers and relatives. His former doctor, Aleksandr Polupan, also criticised the conclusion reached by the investigation into Navalny’s death, citing medical inconsistencies. He believes the autopsy report serves as evidence that the cause of his death either was not found or an attempt was made to cover it up.
Imprisoned ex-Communist Party Duma Deputy has been refused adequate medical care. In Summer 2023, doctors in Vladivostock Remand Prison No. 1 discovered a tumour developing in the chest of Artem Samsonov, but he was not informed of this and no medical care was given to him. That winter, he started having very bad chest pains. He had been in the prison hospital for two weeks by this point, but he still was not given access to a consultation with a therapist. Samsonov had been sentenced to 13 years in a maximum security penal colony for demonstrating the usage of a dildo to a teenager. The former ex-deputy considers his prosecution politically motivated and denies any wrongdoing.
- Why do I need to know this? The Federal Penitentiary Service staff are rarely bothered about prisoners’ health. It is practically impossible to access quality medical care in prisons or penal colonies, so the condition of sick inmates tends to deteriorate quickly. A person might not, as in this case, even know they are in bad health, which will impact upon their mental health too.
Eleven ‘Citizens of the USSR’ from Ekaterinburg have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment ranging from two to six years. Defendants in this case have been found guilty of organisation and participating in the activities of an extremist organisation. According to the investigation, two Ekaterinburg residents created a group which they convinced the other sentenced people to join too. They held meetings, video conferences, wrote propaganda calling for submission to the authorities of the ‘USSR,’ issued ‘decrees,’ and even allotted themselves roles resembling the names of governmental positions in the USSR.
- Why is this important? Members of the organisation ‘Citizens of the USSR’ believe that the USSR continues to exist, and that the Russian Federation is just a ‘trading company.’ There is no single movement called ‘Citizens of the USSR,’ but there are separate groups which are by no means always connected to each other. The adherents of this ideology experience various forms of pressure from the authorities, as their regional organisations are branded as ‘extremist.’ This is despite the fact that the activities of the ‘Citizens of the USSR’ do not harm society, and are limited to holding meetings and disseminating information.
UN Human Rights Council obliges Russian Federation to provide Igor Baryshnikov with immediate medical care. The Council is reviewing the complaint regarding violations of the activist’s right not to be subject to cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment – the defence lawyers claims the refusal to provide Baryshnikov with medical care is just that. Baryshnikov, sentenced to seven and a half years in a penal colony for ‘fake news’ about the Russian army, has been waiting for an operation since March, but it is constantly being delayed. This operation would remove the necessity for him to use a cystostomy, the surgical procedure of inserting tubes into the bladder through the abdomen.
- Why do I need to know this? It is not known if the situation will be resolved. ‘Russia is responsible for treating and curing Baryshnikov while his case is being reviewed. We will continue to observe the situation,’ OVD-Info lawyer Maria Bontsler said. One thing can be said for certain, publicity will help his case. The more people will be made aware of these violations committed by prison staff, the harder it will be for them to deny prisoners their rights.
Features
Threats, written statements by order from above, and a letter to Kadyrov: what happened to the student Alan Misikov after an argument on political repression with his lecturer. Alan Misikov was a first-year student at the Russian State Social University. In May this year he was expelled, in his words, after a argument about Stalinist repression with his lecturer. The next day the former student was taken directly from his accommodation to the military conscription office. The university disagrees with the student’s account of events, and has several reports from other students claiming that he was sexually harassing female students. The student claims that these were written based on orders ‘from above,’ and says he was told this by the head of one of the groups of students. We spoke to Misikov, the dean of his university faculty, and other people involved in this story, and we have tried to uncover the facts of the case. You can read our report here.
Translated by Oscar Seecharan
