Aleksanyan’s lawyers are not being allowed to see him.

Seven days after Vasily Aleksanyan was transferred from prison to hospital his lawyers are still not able to visit their client. Officials at the Matrosskaya Tishina prison refer to a note from the hospital’s chief doctor which says it would not be suitable for the patient to take part in judicial or investigative activities. Therefore, they will not issue the necessary permission. Visiting Aleksanyan, his lawyers insist, has nothing in common with the aforementioned activities. “Talking to us puts him under no kind of stress. On the contrary, it helps him,” Yelena Lvova remarked some days ago. “He finds it very tough without his lawyers, he’s accustomed to discussing things with us.”