Over 100 Russian medical professionals have united in an open letter, published on Saturday, urging the immediate release of Sasha Skochilenko, an artist and musician sentenced to seven years for swapping supermarket price tags with antiwar messages.
Addressed to President Vladimir Putin, the letter emphasizes concerns about Skochilenko’s health and criticizes the perceived injustice of her verdict, citing severe chronic diseases requiring specialized medical care. Skochilenko’s arrest in April 2022, under accusations of spreading false information about the military, coincided with a legislative crackdown on dissenting views regarding the Ukraine war.
The artist’s imprisonment has sparked wider condemnation, with human rights groups, including Memorial, declaring her a political prisoner. OVD-Info reports that over 19,000 Russians faced arrest between February 24, 2022, and late October of the same year for expressing opposition to the war.
