Summary
Veteran doctor accused by mother of patient over alleged Ukraine comment
Paediatrician sentenced to 5 and a half years in penal colony
Rights lawyer says cases based on snitching are on the rise
LONDON, Nov 15 (Reuters) – On the last day of January, a woman took her son to see paediatrician Nadezhda Buyanova at Polyclinic No. 140 in northwest Moscow. The boy, aged seven, had a problem with one of his eyes.
The conversation that the boy’s mother alleged took place during an 18-minute encounter at the clinic would change both women’s lives and land the 68-year-old doctor in prison.
The case hinged on a denunciation – part of a rising trend of Russians informing on fellow citizens for their views on the war in Ukraine and other alleged political crimes. Critics say the wave of denunciations is helping President Vladimir Putin’s government crack down on dissent.