The Saratov organization of assistance to patients with diabetes was recognized as a “foreign agent”. She was accused of inciting protests and pressure on power

Doctors created the organization of assistance to patients with diabetes in the late 1980s. In 2017, a denunciation was written on her

In the late 1980s, the Saratov public organization of disabled people with diabetes was created by doctors and teachers of the Medical Institute (subsequently university). Member of the organization Ekaterina Kulapina (her child diabetes) told Medusa in December 2017 that the organization mainly provides information support to people with diabetes, helps them achieve insulin, and conduct educational measures for them. In total, there are about 82 thousand people with diabetes in the Saratov region, and sometimes there are interruptions with drugs in the region.

In August 2017, a second-year student of a medical university Nikita Smirnov wrote a complaint to the prosecutor’s office when he found out that the organization receives money from abroad and “can“ engage in political activities ”. “I considered it a signal by a civil duty,” Smirnov said then. After the nomination of Vladimir Putin in a new election, he created a regional student headquarters in his support.

The organization really received grants from Russian branches of foreign pharmaceutical companies from 2014 to 2016 - only 645.5 thousand rubles. Money went to organize various events for people with diabetes.

In his complaint, student Smirnov indicated that members of the organization allegedly campaigned people with diabetes use foreign drugs. In fact, according to the members of the organization, they are only opposed to the full transition to domestic insulin (the import substitution policy in this industry began in 2014 after the introduction of Western sanctions). The organization believes that Russian insulin is simply not enough for all those in need and, in addition, the transition to new drugs is fraught with complications for the patient's health.

Many media wrote about Nikita Smirnov’s complaint, and in December 2017 on his wall on VKontakte, he said : “Despite all the statements and actions that this organization could perform, it is primary that it helps people ... Therefore, I recall my statement and is ready to help in every way if it is necessary.” Then Medusa could not contact Smirnov.

On May 28, 2018, he told Medusa that he had “a lot of work”, and asked to call back after two hours; He did not pick up the phone anymore.

The organization was studied by an expert. In his opinion, she "inspires protest moods in society"

Smirnov’s decision to “withdraw a statement” did not make sense - by that time the prosecutor's office had already conducted an audit of the organization and transferred it to the court.

During the audit, the prosecutor’s office applied for an expert opinion to the teacher of history from the Saratov Law Academy Ivan Konovalov (hewrote several articles on countering “color revolutions” and manages the regional project of United Russia, created to prepare managers).

The teacher in his conclusion in the case of the organization of persons with disabilities suffering from diabetes sugar came to the conclusion that it “transfers information to foreign partners about the so -called pain points of the region, especially in the field of medical care to the population, which can be used to inspiring protest moods in society.” Konovalov also found that the organization “forms the prerequisites for discrediting authorities, unreasonably claiming the insolvency of the corresponding structures of the regional government in the field of supply, distribution, import substitution of drugs among patients with diabetes, which can be qualified as political activity”.

On December 15, 2017, the prosecutor’s office transferred two cases to the Frunze court - against the organization itself and against her former head of Ekaterina Rogatkina; They were accused of violating part 1 of Article 19.34 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (“The work of an organization that is a foreign agent, without registration in the relevant register”), which provides for a fine of 500 thousand rubles for legal entities and 300 thousand for individuals.

The court recognized the organization by a “foreign agent”. The prosecutor's office insisted that criticism of Russian insulin is pressure on the authorities

In February 2018, Konovalov acted in court as a witness. This time he stated that the organization used “political technologies of pure water” and “typical black PR technologies”. The historian cited as an example one of the brochures of the organization in 2009, which stated that the regional Ministry of Health "" began to build a new corruption scheme of procurement "of vital drugs. He stated that this publication causes "damage to the authority of the entire department." In addition, Konovalov noted that the “target of black technology”, which was used by people from the public organization of helping with diabetes, was Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In April, the court decided to conduct a political science examination of the organization’s activities, this turned out only from the third time - the Kazan Autonomous Center for Expertise and the Saratov branch of the RANEPA refused to take it. As a result, the examination was conducted by scientists of the Saratov State Law Academy Elena Koroyartseva and Viktor Kupin. Konovalov also works in the same university. The new examination said that the patient organization with its activities "undermined the socio-political stability of the region." Former director of the organization Ekaterina Rogatkina said in court that the document reads Konovalova's handwriting.

On May 28, during the debate, the senior assistant to the prosecutor Julia Spigunova said that criticism of the quality of Russian insulin by members of the organization should be regarded as “pressure on authorities” - and therefore political activity, and supported the accusation in full.

Judge Maria Agisheva recognized the organization as a “foreign agent” and fined it 300 thousand rubles. As Meduza said the current head of the organization Larisa Saigina, she and former director Ekaterina Rogatkina did not expect such a decision and will appeal him. She also noticed that “does not know” where the organization will take money to pay a fine if the appeal does not lead to anything. The meeting in a similar case against Rogatkina herself will be held on May 29.

Evgeny Berg