Volunteer from Kherson suffers without medicine and help in Russian detention center

Kherson activist and volunteer Iryna Gorobtsova, who was abducted by Russians and illegally tried in Crimea, wrote a letter from the pre-trial detention center. The woman complained about her serious health condition and lack of medical care.

This was reported by the Graty media outlet.

In the letter, dated December 11, Irina said that she suffers from constant migraines that have been going on for more than two years due to stress, lack of sleep and isolation. She also has serious heart problems. In her letter, the activist described how, during a heart attack, the paramedic did not come, and her cellmates tried to help her with Corvalol from their own supplies.

"I keep asking for medicine, but there is none. SIZO doctors are not allowed to write prescriptions, and without them, they don't give me anything. Even when there is an opportunity to transfer the necessary medicines, the medical service refuses to accept them because of my article - espionage. It's a vicious circle," writes Gorobtsova.

Her sister Olena said that before the arrest, Irina was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, which requires regular medical care. Despite this, the activist is denied proper treatment.

On May 13, 2022, on Irina's birthday, Russian soldiers in uniform broke into her family's apartment in Kherson. After searching and seizing equipment, the occupiers took Irina for "interrogation". She was transported to Crimea, where she was kept in isolation for a long time without communication with the outside world. The family found out about the woman's whereabouts only 12 days later, when she underwent fingerprinting in Simferopol's Detention Center No. 1.

In March 2024, Irina Gorobtsova was officially accused of espionage, in particular, of passing information to Ukrainian intelligence about the movement of Russian equipment and military personnel. Although at that time she was already under arrest.

In August 2023, the Russian prosecutor's office announced that Irina had been sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in prison. The activist has filed an appeal and is awaiting consideration while in pre-trial detention.

Before the full-scale invasion of Russia, Irina worked as a tester in an IT company and did volunteer work. In occupied Kherson, she helped local doctors, searched for and delivered medicines and food, including to seriously ill people in remote areas. She also took part in peaceful protests against the occupation, posting photos on social media, which became the reason for her persecution.

Earlier, the occupation court in the occupied territories of Kherson region sentenced three local men to prison. They were accused of espionage.

Prior to that, the occupiers killed a civilian boy on the left bank of the Kherson region. Before that, Russians kidnapped the editor of a local newspaper from her apartment in the temporarily occupied Kakhovka. Zhanna Kiselyova.

Ірина Глухова