‘I don’t want to die so young’ Jailing people with cystic fibrosis is illegal in Russia. So to keep this 20-year-old behind bars, authorities are denying her diagnosis — and her lifesaving medication.
Cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease that affects the mucous membranes in the lungs and other organs, is one of the conditions that make it illegal to imprison a person under Russian law. Nonetheless, this summer, a Moscow court sentenced a 20-year-old with the disorder to six years behind bars on charges of attempted drug distribution. Since her arrest, Yevgenia Lomakova’s health has rapidly deteriorated, as her incarceration has made it impossible for her to access the medicine she needs. Her family fears she won’t survive until her release. Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), meanwhile, has dismissed her diagnosis, claiming she doesn’t have the disease at all. Meduza explains how Lomakova ended up in the authorities’ crosshairs and how her family is trying to save her.
Yevgenia Lomakova was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was two years old, according to her older sister, Alexandra. “I was 10 at the time and didn’t really understand what it meant,” Alexandra told the outlet Takie Dela. “The doctor just told us it was a severe condition and that my sister wouldn’t live past 18. For a long time, I lived with the thought that my sister would die soon.”
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that disrupts the normal function of the body’s mucous membranes. It causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in various organs, making it difficult to breathe and increasing the risk of infections. The disease affects not only the lungs and digestive system, but also nearly every organ in the body. People with cystic fibrosis may experience recurring bronchitis and pneumonia, diabetes, liver cirrhosis, and problems absorbing nutrients.
According to Alexandra, the family took special care to safeguard Yevgenia’s health from a young age. However, after their mother suffered a stroke and became unable to work, Alexandra and Yevgenia both took on the responsibility of caring for her.
Yevgenia was arrested in December 2024. State prosecutors claimed she had worked as a drug dealer for several months and that investigators had found 27 grams of mephedrone, scales, and packaging materials at her home. Yevgenia partially admitted guilt, explaining that she had stopped dealing drugs before her arrest and was only storing leftover substances. She explained that she resorted to illegal activity out of financial desperation, as her disability pension of 26,000 rubles ($320) barely covered food, let alone the cost of her medication.
In June 2025, a Moscow court convicted Yevgenia of attempted drug dealing. Although the prosecution sought a 12-year sentence, the court reduced the sentence to six years, citing her health condition.
Reports by The Insider and Novaya Gazeta note that people with cystic fibrosis are legally exempt from pre-trial detention and prison sentences in Russia, based on government decrees stating that “cystic fibrosis with pulmonary manifestations and grade III respiratory insufficiency” should preclude detention or imprisonment.
Despite this, Takie Dela reports that the court did not find grounds to apply conditional sentencing in Yevgenia’s case. According to the outlet, no medical evidence confirming her cystic fibrosis was included in the case file. It’s unclear why this would have been the case.
Following her arrest, Yevgenia was placed under house arrest with numerous restrictions, including bans on leaving home at night and using communication devices. After her conviction, she was transferred to a detention center in handcuffs.
Initially, Yevgenia was sent to the Matrosskaya Tishina detention center’s prison hospital, before being transferred to Moscow’s Detention Center No. 6. According to her sister, during her time at Matrosskaya Tishina, Yevgenia received inadequate medical care for her condition. “They didn’t provide anything — just an inhaler, which didn’t help. We had to bring her medication ourselves. The pulmonologist there didn’t understand cystic fibrosis and claimed it wasn’t a serious condition. He said people with it live just fine,” Alexandra told Takie Dela. Once she arrived at Detention Center No. 6, Yevgenia began receiving antibiotics.
Alexandra managed to arrange an examination with Dr. Stanislav Krasovsky, a leading pulmonologist at Moscow’s Yudin City Clinical Hospital. Dr. Krasovsky concluded that Yevgenia’s health had worsened significantly while in detention, with her lung function now at just 32 percent.
“That’s a massive decline,” Alexandra said. “At this rate, anything could happen. They don’t have food that meets her dietary needs — she mainly eats instant noodles, mashed potatoes, and cookies. I send her fruits, vegetables, and herbs. She now weighs only 45 kilograms (99 pounds).”
Yevgenia requires a daily medication called Trikafta, but it can only be dispensed after approval from a special commission — a process she couldn’t complete before her verdict. “No one expected her to receive prison time,” Alexandra explained. “Everyone thought it would be conditional, due to her illness. As a result, now they won’t give her the medication she needs.”
In addition to Trikafta, Yevgenia requires other medications, which Alexandra purchases with her own money. The detention center cannot provide these medications, as they are difficult to obtain, even for those with cystic fibrosis.
Yevgenia is currently being held in a cell with 36 other inmates, which puts her at a high risk of infection. Novaya Gazeta reports that her cellmates prevent her from using her inhaler and have threatened her over her frequent coughing fits during the night.
In letters home, Yevgenia complains of weakness, shortness of breath, and dizziness. She fears she will die in her next prison. “My cellmate came here from the penal colony for further investigation,” she wrote in one. “She immediately told me, ‘In the colony, you won’t make it in your condition — you won’t even survive the transfer.’”
According to her sister, Yevgenia “appears completely broken” during family visits.
Yevgenia’s defense lawyer has twice requested that the prison administration conduct a medical examination but has received no response. The family has filed complaints with the FSIN and other authorities. On October 1, the family learned that the FSIN’s special commission concluded that Yevgenia does not have any serious health issues that would prevent her from being held in detention. This decision came just before the Moscow City Court’s appeal hearing on October 2.
During that hearing, Yevgenia addressed the court, saying:
Right now, the question is whether I’ll survive. I have a rare genetic disease. My lung insufficiency is worsening. Pus is forming in my lungs, and it’s hard to stop. My condition can only be managed with medication. People with cystic fibrosis don’t live long. I’m so scared to go to prison. I don’t know if I’ll make it there. For me, it would be a death sentence.
My condition is not improving. If I stop the intravenous therapy, I’ll only get worse. I’m 20, and I’m terrified my life will end here. Please, let me die at home, surrounded by my family. Very few people with this disease live past 30. I just want to be with my loved ones. I’m so scared. I don’t want to die so young. I know I’ve done something wrong, but I don’t think my punishment should be death.
Yevgenia’s defense team is seeking to have her charge reclassified as possession of drugs without intent to distribute and to secure a non-custodial sentence for her. After her first hearing, the Moscow City Court postponed its consideration of the appeal until October 16.
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