Jailed Pussy Riot member, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, who is on hunger-strike to protest against inmates’ “slave life conditions”, has been transferred to the prison’s medical unit.
The Federal Penitentiary Service’s (FSIN) spokesperson confirmed
to RIA Novosti on Friday that Nadezhda Tolokonnikova was moved to
the hospital “on the recommendation of doctors”.
Earlier in the day, the activist’s husband, Pyotr Verzilov,
citing the acting head of the penal colony, said that
Tolokonnikova’s deteriorating health prompted the decision to
take her to hospital. However, in his view, it was the
authority’s attempt “to block access” to the his wife,
reports Interfax.
Verzilov says “for the first time” in the 11 months that
she has been serving her sentence in the colony in the central
Russian region of Mordovia, lawyers were denied a meeting with
the Pussy Riot member. He added that those denied access were
some “local lawyers” rather than Irina Khrunova and Dmitry
Dinze from her defense team. Verzilov also stated that
authorities refused to hand over documents on Tolokonnikova’s
transfer to the prison clinic.
Her lawyer Dinze said earlier that Tolokonnikova felt “very
weak” with low blood pressure and low blood sugar. He also
said that his client was drinking only water since she went on
hunger strike.
The 23-year-old began her hunger-strike on Monday in protest
against alleged violations of prisoners’ rights in the Mordovian
colony.
Shortly after that, it was reported that Tolokonnikova was moved
to an inmate discipline unit for her safety from other prisoners.
FSIN denied the reports, saying that it was in fact an individual
cell with “comfortable conditions, a bed, a fridge and a
toilet area.”
“She has all her personal belongings with her – food, books. She
has a right to an unlimited number of phone calls,” a
representative of the prison service said.
Tolokonnikova also complained of abuses by the prison staff,
further alleging that she was left without drinking water. The
prison administration denied the accusations, saying that her
drinking water was simply replaced with warm boiled water on
doctor’s advice. They also denied that physical force was used
against the woman – as Tolokonnikova had claimed. The officials
also noted that she refused a medical examination after the
alleged incident.
In an open letter published in the media last week, she claimed
that inmates were treated “like slaves”, being made to
work excessive hours sewing police uniforms and getting no more
than “four hours of sleep” a day. The mother of a
five-year-old daughter also claimed she received death threats
from the head of the colony.
A probe into her allegations has been launched. The Mordovian
investigative committee has 30 days to investigate and it will
then be decided if a criminal case must be launched.
The head of the colony and his deputy were summoned to Moscow,
Dinze told Interfax.
On Wednesday, a team of members of the Presidential Council for
Human Rights visited the colony. A report on their findings will
be presented later, but according to Maria Kannabikh,
Tolokonnikova’s claims were “partly confirmed.”