Andrey Shabanov. Photo: Ilya Ovsyannikov / 63.ru
A court in Russia’s Samara region has extended the arrest of a saxophonist with serious health issues awaiting charges for his anti-war social media posts by six months, local news outlet 63.ru reported on Wednesday.
Andrey Shabanov was arrested in April on suspicion of publicly calling for terrorism in his social media posts criticising the actions of the Russian army. He was also accused of trying to upload a photo of Adolf Hitler to the online patriotic website Immortal Regiment, which collects photographs of Russian World War II veterans.
The 41-year-old saxophonist, who suffers from psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis, among other chronic diseases, said during the hearing that he would not survive another six months in detention. He has not been allowed access to medical care since his pretrial detention began in April, according to 63.ru.
In the courtroom Shabanov accused the judge of ignoring his state of health and removed his shirt, revealing severe lesions all over his body.
“Look what is happening to me! I am rotting alive! I am rotting alive, and you are giving me another six months? You say I have no complaints? Are you crazy!” Shabanov said, accusing the authorities of killing him. “I’m rotting, rotting everywhere — my legs, my arms, my head. And you say I’m not. Aren’t you ashamed?” Shabanov pleaded emotionally.
The state prosecutor said that Shabanov’s arrest had been extended because of several reprimands he received for his alleged poor behaviour while in pretrial detention, one of which was for an unmade bed.
