“Driving her to death”: the sister of Crimean activist Iryna Danylovych spoke about the conditions in a Russian colony
Relatives are seriously concerned about the health state of citizen journalist and activist from occupied Crimea Iryna Danylovych, whom the administration of the Russian colony in Zelenokumsk is torturing, Olha Novytska, the sister of the Kremlin’s prisoner, told Crimea.Realities, a project of the Radio Liberty. Prison guards play music at a high volume, causing Danylovych serious distress.
Iryna Danylovych. Photo: from her social media pageAccording to Novytska, Danylovych’s medical record states that the noise level should not exceed the permissible limit. However, some guard shifts ignore these instructions, turning on music at an extremely high volume from 6 a.m. until evening.
“Political prisoner calls in hysterics, saying that she can no longer endure the pain and abuse, the music is simply tearing her brain apart,” the sister said.
According to Danylovych’s sister, appeals to the duty unit sometimes help, but more often, she is ignored or rudely refused treatment.
Earlier, Danylovych herself reported the use of so-called “trace-less torture” against female detainees, specifically using bright light and loud music. After these statements, an inspection at the colony found no violations, Novytska noted.
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To provide background, FSB officers abducted Iryna Danylovych in 2022 in Crimea. She was accused of alleged possession of explosive substances. In the pre-trial detention center, she was not provided with medical assistance for acute otitis, due to which the citizen of Ukraine lost hearing in one ear.
After being transferred to the colony in August 2024, Danylovych approached the medical unit because of pains in her ears and head, but the medical staff stated that “the pain will pass by itself once she finally goes completely deaf”.
Earlier, ZMINA reported that the journalist is forced to listen to loud Russian music in the colony.
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In July 2025, it became known that the administration of women’s penal colony No. 7 in Zelenokumsk, Stavropol Krai, Russia, is creating an “endless hell” for the prisoners. In the colony, according to Danylovych, the bright light is never turned off, causing headaches and making it impossible to fall asleep.
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