For the fifth day running Vasily Aleksanyan is being kept away from his lawyers. Today it became clear that this applies to his family as well. Georgy Aleksanyan, the patient’s father, was unable to get permission from the Simonovsky district court to visit his son. In the morning it seemed as though they would permit him to go but when Georgy Aleksanyan arrived at the court he was redirected to Fikret Tagiev, who is in charge of the Matrosskaya Tishina prison, but could not see him that day.

The journey from prison to hospital and back again has become a daily chore for defence attorney Gevorg Dangyan. It is proving a kind of vicious circle. The prison administration find various excuses for refusing to give him permission to see Vasily Aleksanyan. The defence team at first declared that they would not name the hospital until they had their client’s agreement. Now they are close to reversing that decision: “They are forcing our hand and making us go public; in the meanwhile others have to find out for themselves where Mr Aleksanyan is and how he is now,” his lawyer Yelena Lvova commented indignantly.

The defence team has drawn up a formal complaint to the Prosecutor General Yury Chaika about the ongoing situation and if things do not improve they will deliver their complaint tomorrow.