MOSCOW, March 4 (RAPSI) – The Moscow City Court on Thursday overturned sentence delivered against well-known hematologist Elena Misyurina over the death of a patient, the court’s press service told RAPSI.

The charges filed against the defendant were dropped due to the lack of criminal elements he was accused of.

According to case papers, in 2013, Misyrina conducted a diagnostic procedure, bone marrow trephine biopsy, for a patient, who died soon afterwards. A court found the doctor guilty of violating safety regulations that led to the patient’s death and sentenced her to 2 years behind bars in January 2018. 

Misyrina denied wrongdoing and her defense insisted that the procedure was not related to the tragedy.

Misyrina’s case caught public attention with many medical professionals expressing support for the defendant and saying that the procedure could not cause the patient’s death. Thus, as the Russian President’s Council for Human Rights stated, over 600 doctors asked the body to intervene in this case.

Following that, Misyurina was released from detention under travel restrictions.

In April 2018, the Moscow City Court overturned the sentence because of violations committed during the investigation and returned the case to prosecutors. 

In late 2020, the Second Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction invalidated the Moscow City Court’s ruling.