Wife of jailed Putin critic calls for West to help release her hospitalised husband

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The spouse of imprisoned British-Russian activist Vladimir Kara-Murza is asking the Western countries to intervene immediately to assist her husband, expressing concern over the actions the Kremlin may take while he is receiving medical treatment in prison.

The 42-year-old leader of the Russian opposition to Vladimir Putin, who was raised in London and obtained a history degree from the University of Cambridge, is now being detained in a medical facility linked to his Siberian prison camp, after being transferred there on July 4th. Evgenia Kara-Murza went through a period of uncertainty, not knowing his whereabouts or condition.

His attorneys traveled from Moscow to visit their client at the "special regime" prison colony No 7 in Omsk, Siberia on a Thursday morning, but were not allowed to see him. The prison authorities informed them that he had been transferred to the prison hospital without giving a reason. His local Omsk lawyer was finally able to visit him the next Wednesday.

After being isolated in a small cell for nearly 280 days, Kara-Murza was transferred to a hospital where he was not allowed to see his lawyers. This further cut off his last remaining connection to the outside world, leaving him only with prison officials and medical staff. Evgenia, his friends, officials from the West, and human rights activists have criticized his solitary confinement as a type of torture, even before he was moved to the hospital.

Recalling the time she learned that her husband had been transferred, she expressed her fear. She explained that Vladimir is considered a threat by the Russian government and has already served the longest political sentence in modern Russian history. She believes that his sentence may even be extended in the future, as there are talks of a possible fourth criminal case being opened against him.

"Putin's regime is not limited to just 25 years, and I can clearly see the admiration and respect he receives from his supporters."

Regarding her mental well-being, Evgenia expressed that the ordeal lasting almost a week made her feel a mix of emotions, including anger, sadness, frustration, and annoyance all at once.

When the lawyer finally made it to the hospital, Kara-Murza's wife informed them that he was in a "stable" state, but he was noticeably upset.

The attorney confirms he is upset but managing his emotions, according to Evgenia. She explains that Vladimir is acting like himself, staying positive despite the circumstances. However, she can only speculate about the emotional toll it may be taking on him.

Discovering that her husband was in a stable state brought her a brief moment of relief after a tiring and long ordeal. It allowed her to finally get some rest after going without sleep for a week. However, she still has worries about the quality of care in Russian prison hospitals.

“When you imagine a hospital, you probably think of it as a place of safety, don't you?” she asks. “But this hospital is unlike anything you would typically associate with hospitals.”

"He's still isolated. And the fact that he prefers to be in his solitary confinement at the prison of a strict government, I believe speaks volumes," Evgenia states.

Everything remains unchanged at the prison colony with its strict rules, except now it's even harder for him to meet with his lawyer. I doubt he is receiving any meaningful assistance.

Kara-Murza is currently in prison for speaking against Putin's actions in Ukraine. After a Moscow court declared him guilty of "high treason," he was sentenced to 25 years in jail, the longest political sentence given to a dissident since the end of the Soviet Union.

Due to spending most of his time in a small cell without being able to go outside, his polyneuropathy, a nerve condition that affects his ability to feel his extremities, has gotten worse. This condition was caused by two unsuccessful attempts to kill him by poisoning.

Additionally, the lone individual in Russian politics that experienced extreme isolation due to their opposition towards Putin was Alexei Navalny. He passed away in February, with the Kremlin claiming it was due to "sudden death syndrome" while Western countries blame Putin for his death.

Evgenia has received encouraging signals from Western authorities that they are willing to assist with her husband's situation, although the specifics of their involvement are still not clear. She had a meeting with ex-foreign secretary David Cameron in March and is scheduled to meet with his successor, David Lammy, later this year.

However, she has stated before that the clock is ticking for her husband, and this secret transaction only underscores Russia's control over his life.

Evgenia expresses concern about the fact that no one else, apart from the deceased Navalny, has been kept in solitary confinement for nearly a year. She admits that whenever he is absent, even briefly, she becomes extremely anxious.