Several Russian doctors have had their apartments searched by law enforcement officers — most likely in connection with their support of murdered opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was killed in a remote Russian prison this past February. ICU doctor Alexander Polupan, who in August 2020 participated in resuscitating Navalny in Omsk after the politician was poisoned with the weapons-grade chemical nerve agent Novichok, says that he has heard of at least six searches of doctors who questioned the state’s official explanation of Navalny’s death. According to Polupan, all six doctors were members of a chat room dedicated to helping political prisoners. The independent publication Mediazona writes that, during questioning, law enforcement officers showed the doctors images from the chat that “could be interpreted as extremist” and asked them questions about Polupan specifically.
On the morning of Oct. 16, reports emerged about a search at the Ryazan apartment of Ekaterina Terekhina, a doctor who signed a letter to the Investigative Committee demanding a probe into Navalny's death, and also a member of the chat group. “[The law enforcement officers] said that allegedly some sort of order came from Moscow, that all medical workers who are in this chat room should be looked into, that ostensibly there is some sort of threat [coming from them]. They also said they weren’t after ordinary members but after founders and moderators. They gave their first and last names,” Terekhina’s husband said. Terekhina was detained but has since been released.
Later, searches were also reported at the Moscow apartment of pediatrician Milana Z. and chat administrator Irina Listratkina. Listratkina does not live in Russia but happened to have arrived in Moscow the day of the search. Anti-Corruption Foundation representative Maria Pevchikh says the police have also searched the apartments of an orthotist from Moscow Region and an anesthesiologist from Saint Petersburg. There is no other apparent connection between the detainees aside from their membership in the chat room.
As Polupan explained, “Some of the doctors signed the appeal to the Investigative Committee demanding the initiation of criminal proceedings [regarding Navalny's murder]. Others signed petitions in support of political prisoners. There is no particular pattern.”