Parents Detained After Protest on Red Square for Children's Medication
They demanded that the daughters be provided with imported medicine necessary for treatment. Parents of 11-year-old twins Irina and Polina Potechin from Chelyabinsk went on a picket at Red Square.
Consensus
- The parents of two 11-year-old girls from Chelyabinsk were detained after a protest on Red Square.
- The protest was held to demand access to the original imported drug 'Spinraza’ for their daughters with spinal muscular atrophy.
- The parents claim their daughters' health worsened after being switched from 'Spinraza' to a Russian generic version.
- The family previously won a court ruling in 2020 requiring the original medication, which was enforced until 2025.
- A three-member medical panel in early August determined that the original drug was necessary for the girls based on life-saving indications.
- The Chelyabinsk regional clinic continued to insist on using the domestic generic despite medical recommendations.
- The parents recorded a video appeal to President Vladimir Putin and head of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastykin.
- The Investigative Committee stated it had taken interest in the case and that previous criminal cases related to children's medication had been dismissed by prosecutors.
- The Chelyabinsk Ministry of Health stated it was monitoring the situation and that necessary medications were available.
Points of divergence
- The parents were detained after a picket on Red Square, and both were taken to the police station; they were released after document verification. — tg_sotavisionmedia
- The mother was detained alone, and her husband was present but not explicitly mentioned as being detained; the police station was specified as 'Kitaigorod'. — riamo
- The Chelyabinsk clinic filed a lawsuit against the mother for refusing treatment and demanded forced therapy with the generic drug. — tg_sotavisionmedia
- No mention of a lawsuit filed by the clinic against the mother. — riamo
- The Kalinin District Court in Chelyabinsk ruled the mother's refusal of treatment unlawful but refused to order immediate forced treatment or specify the drug. — tg_sotavisionmedia
- No mention of the court ruling or its details. — riamo
- The mother stated she had been fighting for a year to return to the original therapy and that the children had regressed after switching to the generic. — tg_sotavisionmedia
- The mother stated the children were switched to the generic in 2025, but no mention of a one-year struggle prior. — riamo
- The Investigative Committee confirmed that criminal cases on medication provision had been previously opened but canceled by prosecutors. — tg_sotavisionmedia
- No mention of previous criminal cases being opened or canceled. — riamo
Coverage (2 sources)
- Parents of twins with SMA from Chelyabinsk were detained after a rally on Red Square. They demanded to ensure their daughters received imported... — SOTAvision
- On Red Square detained parents of girls with SMA who complained about treatment — РИАМО