Imprisoned and ill – Kseniya Lutskina on life and health in prison

Die belarussische Journalistin Kseniya Lutskina wurde 2020 nach den Protesten gegen Wahlfälschung und Repression verhaftet und später zu acht Jahren Haft verurteilt – weil sie beim Aufbau unabhängiger Medien half. Während ihrer Haft musste sie Zwangsarbeit verrichten und war Isolation und permanenter Überwachung ausgesetzt. Im Interview berichtet sie über die medizinische Versorgung in belarussischen Untersuchungshaftanstalten (abgekürzt auch SISO genannt).

Arrest

I was kidnapped right there on the streets of Minsk. I have a brain tumor and that means that I always need to have my medication with me. On the night of December 24–25, 2020 – on Christmas Eve – I was taken to SIZO 1 or “Volodarka” (as SIZO 1, a pre-trial detention center in Minsk, is commonly called as it is located on Volodarskogo Street). It was a “dead” period, i.e. during the holidays, when almost no one would work. I was told that, once detained, one is to immediately inform the paramedic about such illness and demand to see a doctor. But the doctor came only a week later.

Medical Assistance and Difficulties

Calling a doctor is extremely difficult: One must fill out numerous applications detailing the illness in question. The doctor may come after a week or even later. Even with serious conditions, prisoners constantly have to prove they are truly sick and not faking it. Criminal prisoners often fake illnesses, that is why political prisoners must also undergo repeated “fake checks”.

My cellmate once developed a severe rash – likely neurodermatitis. However, the doctor only came one week after we added “suspected ringworm” to the application to see a doctor. The examination was done through a small hatch in the door.

Problems with Treating Chronic and Serious Illnesses

Hormone therapy or obtaining other specific medications is nearly impossible without an external medical confirmation. However, this is extremely difficult because clinics do not provide discharge summaries to relatives or lawyers, and obtaining them from a SIZO is practically impossible. When it comes to medical parcels, each SIZO has its own rules and restrictions: For example, if the drug or its liquid equivalent is in stock in the SIZO, no parcels will be accepted. In prisons, medicine is dispensed at a special distribution point, sometimes requiring inmates to wait for one or two hours – twice a day. Imagine waiting outside in −20 °C for antibiotics. Any condition you may have, be it pneumonia, bronchitis or fever, will most likely worsen after this.

Medical Units and Restrictions

The inpatient unit is a “prison within the prison.” Inmates cannot leave, do not receive letters, and phone calls will depend on the chief warden’s mood. To get essential exams like an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) one must write dozens of letters. And these usually receive standard replies such as “She is healthy, everything is fine.”

Personal Experience and Observations

Doctors tried to help, but their abilities were limited. I saw seriously ill political prisoners being carried to court because they kept losing consciousness due to cancer or heart conditions.

The worst part are these “fake checks”. In our SIZO cell, a woman had a pre-stroke condition: Half of her facial muscles stopped working, she could barely speak. We kept banging on the door for 20 minutes with pots and cups to get the wardens’ attention and call a doctor. The doctor came, but first conducted a “fake check.”

Another detainee once hit the cell door so hard that she broke her toe. We were all adults, educated people, and felt extremely uncomfortable constantly having to prove that we actually were sick.

I was lucky – I was released early, despite my sentence being four more years. Today, about 170 people are on the humanitarian list: Cancer patients, stroke and heart attack survivors, people in need of rehabilitation. I strongly urge that other political prisoners in vulnerable situations receive the same attention and care that I did. Every person’s life and health must be a priority. International solidarity, attention, and support are crucial.