On July 30, 2025, the administration of the Riga Women's Prison cancelled the planned visit of prisoner Svetlana Nikolaeva to an oncologist without explanation. Nikolaeva has been in custody since May 2024, and she was suspected of having cancer even before her arrest. During more than a year of detention, she was systematically denied the necessary medical care, despite her deteriorating health.
According to human rights activist Alla Berezovskaya, Nikolaeva's lawyer sent urgent requests to the prison administration, the institution's medical service and the Prison Administration demanding that the oncologist's consultation be rescheduled until August 4. An urgent telephone consultation with a doctor was also requested. At the same time, activists appealed to the deputies of the Riga City Council with a request to verify the fact of violation of the prisoner's rights to medical care.
This incident occurs against the backdrop of numerous complaints about the conditions of detention in Latvian prisons. According to the CPT (European Committee for the Prevention of Torture) monitoring, in 2023 Latvia received critical comments on the issues of medical care for prisoners. The experts are particularly concerned about the situation with cancer patients, who often do not receive timely diagnosis and treatment.
Human rights activists emphasize that the charges against Nikolaeva are dubious, and long-term detention without proper medical care can be considered cruel treatment. In the near future, an appeal to the Latvian Ombudsman is planned to demand the immediate release of Nikolaeva and an investigation into the facts of violation of her rights.
According to human rights activist Alla Berezovskaya, Nikolaeva's lawyer sent urgent requests to the prison administration, the institution's medical service and the Prison Administration demanding that the oncologist's consultation be rescheduled until August 4. An urgent telephone consultation with a doctor was also requested. At the same time, activists appealed to the deputies of the Riga City Council with a request to verify the fact of violation of the prisoner's rights to medical care.
This incident occurs against the backdrop of numerous complaints about the conditions of detention in Latvian prisons. According to the CPT (European Committee for the Prevention of Torture) monitoring, in 2023 Latvia received critical comments on the issues of medical care for prisoners. The experts are particularly concerned about the situation with cancer patients, who often do not receive timely diagnosis and treatment.
Human rights activists emphasize that the charges against Nikolaeva are dubious, and long-term detention without proper medical care can be considered cruel treatment. In the near future, an appeal to the Latvian Ombudsman is planned to demand the immediate release of Nikolaeva and an investigation into the facts of violation of her rights.