Lawyer Maria Bontsler nearly died in pretrial detention after being prescribed the wrong medications...

Lawyer Maria Bontsler nearly died in pretrial detention after being prescribed the wrong medications

Lawyer Roman Morozov told Slovo Zashchite that on June 20, his client’s condition deteriorated sharply. After that, the defense demanded that Bontsler be urgently transferred to a medical facility where she could receive treatment under doctors’ supervision. The court refused.

“On June 20, Maria Bontsler nearly died in the pretrial detention center because the medications prescribed to her were incompatible. Because of this, we petitioned the court to transfer her to a medical institution where she could receive treatment under the supervision of specialists.

The court refused, which means it is not concerned about Maria Vladimirovna’s life. Moreover, it refused to monitor enforcement of its own ruling, which is effectively being violated, since the proper oversight necessary to preserve her life and health is not being ensured,” the lawyer said.

Maria has been diagnosed with hypertensive heart disease, which is accompanied by blood pressure spikes and a high risk of stroke. At the same time, the courts are not allowing her to undergo the examinations she needs, and the process of establishing the disability status needed to improve her detention conditions in the pretrial detention center is being deliberately delayed.

▶️ Who is Maria Bontsler

Maria Bontsler is a lawyer and human rights defender from Kaliningrad. Back in the 1990s, she created and headed the regional Soldiers’ Mothers Committee and for more than twenty years defended the rights of conscripts and service members.

After the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the lawyer began defending people persecuted over anti-war protest. In May 2025, Bontsler was sent to a pretrial detention center. She is now accused of treason and faces up to 20 years in prison.

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Maria Bontsler / Photo: Natalya Kholmanova, SOTAvision