Russian authorities arrest doctor who exposed country’s ill-preparedness for virus

Russian authorities violently arrested prominent doctor Anastasia Vasilyeva, who exposed the country’s ill-preparedness for fighting for fighting the coronavirus, Amnesty International reports.

“It is staggering that the Russian authorities appear to fear criticism more than the deadly COVID-19 pandemic,” Amnesty’s Russia director Natalia Zviagina says in a statement. “By keeping her behind bars they expose their true motive – they are willing to punish health professionals who dare contradict the official Russian narrative and expose flaws in the public health system.”

Vasilyeva spoke to The Times of Israel’s Hebrew sister-site Zman Yisrael earlier this week, saying that Russia “prefers to make sick people disappear as if it will allow the virus to disappear along with them.”