Russian authorities launch investigation over forced sterilizations at assisted living facility in Yekaterinburg

Russia’s Investigative Committee branch in the Sverdlovsk region has opened an investigation into reports of the forced sterilization of women at the Uktussky Assisted Living Facility in Yekaterinburg. This was reported by the news outlet Lampa Yekaterinburg on its Telegram channel.

In particular, Lampa’s post refers to an investigative committee decree recognizing one of the facility’s residents as a victim in the case.

According to a copy of the decree (posted on Lampa’s Telegram channel), the victim was sent for sterilization surgery “by an unidentified official” belonging to the assisted living facility’s management.

The husband of one of the facility’s residents told MBX Mediathat the case was opened under article 111 of the Russian Criminal Code: “intentional infliction of grave bodily injury.”

• In mid-October, Lampa Yekaterinburg published a video, in which a resident from the Uktussky Assisted Living Facility revealed that she and other women living there had been subjected to forced abortions and sterilization.
• The facility’s management confirmed that 15 female residents had been sterilized since 2006, claiming that they all gave written informed consent for any medical procedures. Multiple women told journalists that they were forced to consent to abortion and/or sterilization procedures under threat of being sent to psychiatric facilities.