The Russian doctors have addressed President Vladimir Putin demanding the release of Alexandra Skochilenko, a 33-year-old woman sentenced to seven years in prison for protesting against Russia’s offensive in Ukraine in a supermarket. Skochilenko had replaced price tags in a supermarket with slogans criticizing the Russian offensive.
Skochilenko, also known as an artist under the name Sasha, suffers from several health issues, including celiac disease and a congenital heart defect. Her mother told AFP that a long prison sentence would be a “catastrophe” for her daughter.
In the letter, published on social media and independent Russian news sites, the doctors express serious concerns about Sasha’s health. They note that her chronic illnesses require proper medical monitoring and special diet, which cannot be provided in a penal colony. Her conviction last week was met with strong criticism from human rights groups and anti-Kremlin activists.
Don’t get your hopes up. The vast majority of Russians are like the vast majority of conservatives / Republicans in the US. They range from tacitly in favor of authoritarianism to openly supportive of it. Nothing will change in Russia, and even if it did, the aftermath would be exploited by greedy oligarchs and corporations in a repeat of the aftermath of the fall of the USSR. Best to be a realist.