Galina Umyarova, 60, who was arrested in a case involving paid Telegram reactions, has not received qualified medical care in pretrial detention for several months, her lawyer Maksim Sikach told Ostorozhno Media.
According to the lawyer, Umyarova has high blood pressure, severe itching and other symptoms requiring medical examination. Sikach said there was a suspicion of herpetic meningitis, but the diagnosis has not been confirmed: no independent medical opinion is available. He alleges that the necessary tests have not been carried out.
Sikach said that, after an appeal by presidential Human Rights Council member Eva Merkacheva, members of the Public Monitoring Commission visited the detention facility but, in his view, did not pay sufficient attention to Umyarova's complaints. The defense has appealed to state agencies and human rights bodies. The detention center administration has not publicly responded to the latest complaints.
Umyarova was remanded in custody in April 2026. Investigators allege that she sent 100 paid Telegram reactions, known as Stars, worth a total of 219 rubles under a post linked to the Freedom of Russia Legion, which Russian authorities have designated a terrorist organization. Her defense says her account was hacked. She faces up to 15 years in prison.