Russian human rights activists demand that the authorities release M.Charykova, who is accused of possesion of pain-killers

Russian human rights activists are demanding that the authorities release 24-year-old Margarita Charykova from Moscow’s Matrosskaya Tishina pre-trial detention center. Charykova’s mother claims that her daughter who was born without a rectum, is “rotting alive” since she is not receiving the right medical help which is simply not possible to get in the pre-trial detention. Whilst in pre-trial detention, Charykova, who is suffering from edema, gained ten kilograms, and had to be taken to the prison hospital.

24 years old Margarita was arrested in December 2012. She is facing up to ten years imprisonment for possession of the pain-killer, which was mixed with a home-made psychotropic stimulant. Mixing pain killers with stimulants was necessary for the leady in order to cope with the sedative effects of the pain-killers: despite her debilitating health conditions Charikova had an active social life and tried to hide her rare health condition.

Anya Sarang from the Andrey Rylkov Foundation deems that the state demonstrates a particular merciless attitude towards Charykova due to the fact that the young lady is accused of drug crime. Recently Russia toughened criminal punishment for drug crimes, making trafficking one of a few crimes punishable by life imprisonment.

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