Bodyguard of thief in law Shishkan was brought to court on a blanket

Later he complained of unbearable pain in his spine

An unpleasant scandal marked the court hearing on Wednesday in the case of those accused of banditry and murder – the famous businessman Oleg Medvedev (unofficial nickname Shishkan) and his 17 accomplices. One of the prisoners was brought into the courtroom on a blanket, thereby dooming him to serious physical torture.

As MK learned, we are talking about Alexei Agapov. In the gang, he served as Medvedev’s security guard. In July 2019, when Shishkan was detained in his mansion, the bodyguard jumped out of a 3rd floor window and received a compression fracture of the spine with displaced discs. In the prison hospital, Agapov had a metal structure installed in his back. He later complained to human rights activists that the fall had caused many complications, but prison doctors time after time agreed to allow the accused to participate in the trial. In addition, the investigator did not give permission for Agapov to be examined by civilian doctors – the prisoner hoped that they would determine a rehabilitation program for him.

Until recently, Agapov was taken to the 2nd Western District Military Court on a stretcher. He answered questions from the participants in the trial while lying down, turning on his side, or taking a position so that he could be heard. However, on December 6, the stretcher was unexpectedly replaced with a regular blanket. This caused indignation between the patient and his defenders: this method of movement is strictly contraindicated for those who have suffered a spinal fracture. Severe pain was not long in coming. Agapov suggested that it was simply more convenient for guards to maneuver with a blanket in the narrow corridors of the court. And advocates expressed concern that the transportation of seriously ill prisoners on stretchers would be abolished altogether.