Political prisoners - Kremlin opponent Kara-Mursa in prison camp clinic - condition unclear
The 25-year sentence convicted Kreml critic Vladimir Kara-Mursa has been transferred to a penal hospital from the prison in Omsk, according to his lawyers and wife. The condition of the 42-year-old, who is one of the harshest critics of Kreml chief Vladimir Putin, is unclear. The penal clinic initially denied, then later admitted, that the seriously ill politician had been moved there, his wife Evgenia Kara-Mursa announced on social media X.
The lawyers were first detained and ultimately denied access to him. In February, the most prominent Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny died in a prison in the Arctic region of Russia. Other political prisoners in Russia also complain about particularly harsh prison conditions that lead to health damages.
Kara-Mursa's wife reminded that her husband has been suffering from a chronic illness after two poisoning attacks. She described how the lawyers had been unsuccessfully trying to see him since Thursday. The doctors had first kept them waiting and then said that the working day on Friday had passed. The penal system does not allow visits at weekends, it was reportedly stated.
According to his lawyer, Kara-Mursa was transferred to a cell with difficult prison conditions in June for six months. Such particularly narrow cells are often used as punishments for political prisoners by the guards in the prison. Kara-Mursa was sentenced to 25 years in prison in April 2023 on charges of treason. He is internationally recognized as a political prisoner. For years, he criticized Putin's politics and also the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
- Despite the initial denial, it was later confirmed that Vladimir Kara-Mursa, the critic of Vladimir Putin, was moved to a penal hospital in Omsk due to his health concerns.
- The penal hospital transfer came after Kara-Mursa, who is serving a 25-year sentence for charges of treason, was reportedly suffering from the aftereffects of two poisoning attacks.
- Human rights organizations and international bodies have condemned the treatment of Kara-Mursa in the Russian penal system, citing concerns over his health and alleged violation of his rights.
- The wife of Kara-Mursa, Evgenia, has been vocal about the lack of justice in her husband's case and the harsh conditions he has been subjected to in the Russian penal camp.
- The transfer of Kara-Mursa to the penal hospital in Omsk has raised concerns about the safety and wellbeing of other political prisoners in Russia's penal system, many of whom have reported poor health conditions due to the harsh prison conditions.
