Sasha Skochilenko, an artist from St. Petersburg, who was sentenced to seven years in prison in November on charges related to "spreading fakes about military forces," is unable to undergo scheduled medical examinations due to the judge's refusal to approve her transfer from pre-trial detention to a civilian clinic.
She has been in custody since her arrest on April 11, 2022. The young woman has been diagnosed with celiac disease, an intolerance to gluten, which means she cannot consume many common products. Due to the inability of the pre-trial detention center to provide her with proper nutrition, her health has deteriorated.
In recent months, Skochilenko has experienced constant nausea and stomach pain. Earlier, a cyst was discovered in her right ovary. In November, a gastroenterologist visited her and prescribed a gastroscopy and abdominal ultrasound for diagnosis. However, Judge Demyasheva of the Vasileostrovsky District Court in St. Petersburg rejected the request for her transfer to a civilian clinic for examination, citing a "case related to discrediting the Russian Armed Forces." In the second half of December, Skochilenko was finally taken to the regional prison hospital, where an ultrasound revealed problems with the gallbladder. However, the hospital did not have painkillers, and without them, the artist could not undergo the gastroscopy procedure, which causes severe pain and a feeling of suffocation.
The detainee has also been diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse and severe arrhythmia. In April, a cardiologist who examined Skochilenko in pre-trial detention stated that her life was in danger, with a risk of cardiac arrest. Furthermore, Skochilenko's gums became infected after a tooth extraction. The operation was performed in pre-trial detention, but the doctors did not have the necessary material to apply stitches, and painkillers were not given to the artist.