The ECHR awarded 20 thousand euros to the daughter of a cancer patient who died in a prison hospital

The European Court of Human Rights ordered Russia to pay 20 thousand euros to the daughter of cancer patient Oksana Semenova. The woman died in the Gaaz prison hospital in St. Petersburg. This was reported by the human rights organization “Zone of Law”.

According to the head of the organization, Sergei Petryakov, the court took into account the lack of a license from the medical institution, as well as the fact that Semenova was diagnosed with cancer late. In addition, it was confirmed that the prisoner’s medical care was provided with violations.

Based on these circumstances, the ECtHR concluded that the Russian authorities violated Article 3 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms on inhuman and degrading treatment.

Oksana Semenova was diagnosed with uterine cancer in July 2015. Two months later, when the tumor reached an inoperable stage, doctors prescribed radiation therapy. As the court later found, the drugs given to the woman in the prison hospital did not relieve the patient's pain from therapy.

At the end of the summer, the medical commission decided to release Semenova from custody due to a serious illness. However, the court rejected the convict’s petition, despite the obvious lack of specialized drugs for treating cancer patients in the prison hospital.

After an appeal from human rights activists, the ECHR demanded that Semyonova be transferred to a civilian hospital and provided with all the necessary medicines. However, the FSIN decided to ignore these demands.

Oksana Semenova died in April 2016, and her mother died a few months later. In this regard, the prisoner's 14-year-old daughter became the plaintiff.