Alexander Dotsenko and his wife, Anastasia Dyudyaeva. Photo: Mediazona
Alexander Dotsenko, a political prisoner convicted of distributing anti-war leaflets in a St. Petersburg supermarket back in 2024, has died after suffering a heart attack at his penal colony and failing to regain consciousness in hospital, his support group reported on Thursday.
“Sasha is gone. He left us at 4pm,” his supporters announced. Dotsenko, 65, had suffered a massive heart attack at his penal colony on 12 February, at which point he was transferred to hospital, where he fell into a coma. On Tuesday, staff decreased his sedation and observed that his heart rate was getting worse. On Wednesday, Dotsenko’s state worsened. He was again anaesthetised and his medicine increased.
Dotsenko, a jeweller from the city of Gatchina, near St. Petersburg, was sentenced to three years in a penal colony for “incitement to terrorism” in July 2024. His wife, artist Anastasia Dyudyaeva, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for the same crime. They were both added to the Russian government’s list of “extremists and terrorists” in February 2024.
According to the investigation, the couple had left notes with anti-war messages on them in a local supermarket, including one with the words “Putin to the gallows”. The couple denied their involvement. Even a handwriting expert for the prosecution doubted that they had written the messages, independent media outlet Mediazona observed at the time.
During the trial, Dotsenko’s lawyer stressed that a long sentence could effectively become a “death sentence” for his client.
