Nikolai Svanidze, Yezhednevny zhurnal, 21.02.2008

Three of us went to see Aleksanyan. Myself and Genry Reznik form the Public Chamber and, at our suggestion, we were joined by Vladimir Lukin [RF ombudsman for human rights]. The Federal Penitentiary Service (FPS) gave us permission to visit Vasily Aleksanyan in hospital and we were able to talk in detail with the doctors and, for over an hour, with the patient himself.

The doctors gave us their report. We’re giving him all the treatment at our disposal, they said, but this is a poor hospital (they’re right about that). There are no issues to raise with the doctors and Aleksanyan himself has no complaints about them: on the contrary, he’s very thankful for all they are doing

As concerns the conditions in which he is kept – well, that’s another story. Aleksanyan is a separate ward which even has its own toilet, a quite exceptional state of affairs. Furthermore, the chief doctor has ordered that a refrigerator also be installed there. There are bars on the window and that, on the whole, is in accordance with the rules in such cases. The only problem is that they prevent the ventilation pane from opening and so the room does not get properly aired. The shower is in the corridor and permission to use it must first be obtained from the FPS. Evidently that organisation does not always give permission since Aleksanyan has been able to take a shower only three times during the fortnight he has now spent at the hospital. His medics recommend that, like anyone else, he should be able to wash every day.

A guard sits next to him, on a chair beside the bed, all round the clock. Every two hours a new guard replaces the old. This is also the pattern throughout the night. A guard clocks on, the other clocks off — and it’s all a rather noisy, disturbing procedure. In addition they check and search the ward once every night. It’s not easy to sleep in such conditions, especially if you consider Vasily Aleksanyan’s physical state.

Until Monday evening, 18 February, Aleksanyan was indeed chained to his bed. He told us so and the medical personnel confirmed his words. A metre-long chain fastened his hand to the bed. It is nicknamed the “bouquet”, because several pairs of handcuffs dangle from the chain and, when desired, all his limbs can be attached to the bed. He was chained by one hand, day and night. Only when his lawyers were due to visit was he unchained and the “bouquet”, concealed. On Monday they finally removed all those restraints.

As before, Vasily Aleksanyan insists that he has never refused medical treatment. This contradicts FPS statements and we must investigate that discrepancy. It’s too early to draw any conclusions, I think. Next week we shall visit him again and then you may expect the final results of our investigation. Meanwhile Aleksanyan is in good spirits, he tries to joke and, overall, he’s putting a brave face on things.