RU / ES / DE / PL / ENG / FR/ PT /  FI / IT

The pre-trial detention center may kill her! We demand an alternative form of pre-trial detention for Sasha Skochilenko!

On April 13, a Saint Petersburg court sent the artist/musician to a pre-trial detention center. She faces between 5 and 10 years of imprisonment because on March 31, she swapped price tags with stickers containing information about the actions of Russian soldiers in Mariupol in the “Perekrestok” supermarket.

She is now accused of distributing fake information about the Russian military according to a new article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which went into effect on March 4. It carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Sasha admitted to distributing the stickers but pleaded not guilty, denying that the information on the stickers is false.

Sasha is an exceptionally creative person: she writes songs, creates comic books and cartoons, and organizes concerts and jams. She also wrote the famous “Book About Depression,” which helped many people and aided in destigmatizing mental disorders. The book has become extremely popular: it was reprinted several times and translated into various languages. It also has inspired many videos and exhibitions, with psychologists even using it in their sessions with clients. Thousands upon thousands of people were able to better understand what was happening to them and how they could live with depression due to Sasha's efforts. Now it is time for all these people to unite and help Sasha. 

Imprisonment may kill Sasha. Suffering from celiac disease – genetic gluten intolerance or, in other words, wheat and rye protein intolerance –  Sasha cannot eat bread, pasta, biscuits, porridge, food so ubiquitous in our daily lives …When you have celiac disease, it is crucial to avoid even the smallest traces of gluten in products. And while this may be more evident with bread, it is impossible to know if there is gluten in a prepared meat dish, sauce, or soup, unless you are able to cook it yourself or already know the exact ingredients of a dish. We doubt that the pre-trial detention center administration is ready to reveal the process of how they prepare meals or make any accommodations to help protect her. Sasha’s health will get worse, particularly as she will be unable to eat food brought in from the outside, as many food items are forbidden and package weight is limited. 

No, Sasha will not feel bad instantly; she will not be immediately taken away by the ambulance and treated. To the contrary, the situation is even worse. Day by day multiple organ failure or oncological and autoimmune diseases may start to progress. Or her bones may even begin to weaken to the point of breaking. 

Aleksey Golovenko, a gastroenterologist, said that the complications and neurological disorders that would arise after several months in the pre-trial detention center will amount to  “awful psychological pressure.” 

Sasha also has bipolar affective disorder, so any deviations of her daily routine, lack of sleep and severe stress may cause an exacerbation of the disease. Sasha needs to take her pills regularly, which is almost impossible in the current pre-trial prison. Thus, being in a pre-trial detention center is exceedingly dangerous for her. The current prison regime and rules nearly amount to a death sentence for Sasha – a young woman whose weight is 45 kilograms (99 pounds). 

Sasha’s lawyer Dmitriy Gerasimov has presented all the information about these diseases to the Court, but the Court paid no heed to them, just as it did not pay attention to personal guarantees. Legislative Assembly Members Boris Vishnevskiy and Mihail Amosov, as well as Lev Shlosberd (a politician) and Sergey Troshin (a municipal deputy) have all interceded on Sasha’s behalf.

The only thing that can save Sasha now is a forceful public response. That is why we have written this petition and demand a change in the form of pre-trial detention and guarantees about her health and safety! 

She might not make it out of this place without our help.

Please, sign the petition, help us spread this information, and save our Sasha!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Freedomforsasha

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sasha.skochilenko

Instagram: @skochilenko