"I'm constantly suffering from cystitis and thrush": Journalist Nika Novak complained about the conditions in the punishment cell where she has already spent a week.

Novak was sent to solitary confinement for the maximum term of 15 days. Letter Chita The journalist, sentenced to four years for "confidential cooperation" with Sibir.Realii, was published by her support group. 

"I recently received answers saying that we have hot water in the cell-type rooms and punishment cells. So I look at the faucet—where is it? And why then do we girls wash ourselves with ice-cold water, while I constantly suffer from cystitis, then thrush from hypothermia, wash my feet in ice-cold water, and then drink paracetamol and powders—and get sick. Where are the conditions in the answer?" — Nika’s letter says.

The reason for the journalist's latest punishment is unknown. Eight lines after the mention of the punishment cell, where she could have explained this, were redacted by the censor.

In the fall of 202, Nika recounted how she was placed in solitary confinement for refusing to give an interview about her "happy" life in the penal colony, as well as for refusing to work as a seamstress, as she had not been trained for the profession. She was then kept in a cell with an aggressive woman, and prison staff provoked her into violations. For this, Novak was transferred to strict conditions and stopped receiving letters from her.

Due to violations of her rights, Novak has already gone on hunger strike several times.

The same attitude was shown towards the penal colony and another Siberian journalist. The day before, a RusNews journalist Maria Ponomarenko She described the harsh isolation in a solitary confinement cell. Due to her claustrophobia, the journalist repeatedly asked the administration to assign her to any outdoor work so she could legally leave her cell, but the correctional facility's management ignored her requests. 

At the same time, the administration effectively cut off Ponomarenko's communication with the outside world, blocking virtually all outgoing emails. Federal Penitentiary Service officials explain the blocking by claiming the journalist's emails are "destructive" due to her bad mood.