He is now in the haematological department of a Moscow hospital. But they have not been able to see him yet.

On Saturday Vasily Aleksanyan’s lawyers managed to find him themselves, in the haematological department of a Moscow hospital. The security guards would not let them see or talk to him, saying that the permission of the director of the Matrosskaya Tishina remand centre, Fikret Tagiev, was first needed. And although Tagiev was back at work again that day, when Aleksanyan’s lawyers went to the prison to obtain his permission they were simply not allowed into the building.

On the other hand, they were able to talk to the doctors who are treating their client. At present the doctors are deciding how to go about treating a patient who has various forms of cancer and is HIV-positive. “They are now deciding what needs to be done and in what order,” says Yelena Lvova, Aleksanyan’s lawyer.

His relatives and family have also not been able to visit him yet. They must go and get permission from the courts. Today Aleksanyan’s lawyers will once again go to the remand centre where Aleksanyan has been held until now to obtain the necessary documents in the hopes that by evening they will be able to see their client.