Jailed Russian Opposition Figure Kara-Murza Admitted To Prison Hospital, Lawyers Denied Access: Wife Evgenia

Jailed Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza's wife Evgenia said in a post on X that he was admitted to a prison hospital and his lawyers were denied access.

Jailed Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza's wife Evgenia said in a post on X that he was admitted to a prison hospital and his lawyers were denied access. (Photo: X/@vkaramurza)

Source : Other

Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is serving a 25-year jail sentence for treason, was transferred to a prison hospital on Thursday evening from the IK-6 maximum-security colony in Omsk, his wife Evgenia stated in a post on X on Friday. She also said that his lawyers were not allowed to meet him and expressed concern if he was alright.

The 42-year-old Kara-Murza, was admitted to Regional Hospital 11 FKLP of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Omsk region, his wife wrote on X.

Moscow-born Murza, who has Russian and British passports, was jailed after repeatedly condemning Ukraine war and calling for Western sanctions against Moscow, news agency Reuters reported.

His wife said that Murza's lawyers arrived on Thursday morning to meet him. However, after waiting for five hours, they were informed that the Russian opposition figure was in a hospital. When the lawyers went there, they were told Murza had not been brought at that hospital. As the working day ended, they confirmed his arrival at the facility, asking his lawyers to come back on Friday, Evgenia said.

Lawyers Denied Access, No Confirmation If He Is Alright: Wife

When the lawyers reached the facility on Friday morning, they were initially told that Murza had not recovered fully and was being examined by the doctors. The staff member also told them that lawyer visits were only allowed after 2 pm, but could not state which rules established this, Evengia wrote on X.

After waiting the whole day, the lawyers were told again that they should return since the working day was over, she stated, adding that weekends are non-working days in correctional facilities.

The lawyers were thus unable to either see or meet Murza or even confirm that he was alright. 

Kara-Murza suffers from a nerve condition called polyneuropathy, which is a disease caused by two severe poisoning attempts, she said. This disease is on the list of illnesses that prevent a person from serving a sentence.

Evgenia has repeatedly voiced concerns about her husband's health in prison, especially following leading opposition Alexei Navalny's death in an Arctic penal colony in February this year. 

The Kremlin critique, Kara-Murza, was arrested in April 2022, after he was accused of spreading false information about the armed forces and was declared a "foreign agent".

Following his arrest, CNN broadcasted an interview wherein he stated that Russia was run by "a regime of murderers," Reuters reported.

A former journalist, Murza was subsequently charged with treason for his speeches about the war, including the March 2022 speech in the Arizona House of Representatives where he said Russian President Vladimir Putin was bombing Ukrainian hospitals, homes, and schools.