Relatives of Russian journalist Nikolai Svanidze decided to continue his treatment by transferring him to a hospital in Israel. This update came from Vladimir Solovyov, head of the Union of Journalists of Russia, on Monday. He noted that Svanidze would remain under medical care abroad after feeling improvements in a Russian clinic, with the final decision made by the family to move him to an Israeli facility, where his treatment would continue.
Svanidze, 67, was hospitalized in Moscow with pneumonia, a development that first became public on February 6. The information was corroborated by Pavel Gusev, editor-in-chief of Moskovsky Komsomolets, who stated that the journalist was in a serious condition at that time and had been diagnosed with pulmonary edema. Medical teams were described as fighting for his life, according to Mikhail Fedotov, the former head of the Presidential Council for Human Rights, of which Svanidze had been a member.
On February 8, human rights activist Igor Kalyapin reported a change in Svanidze’s situation. He said he was informed that Svanidze had been taken out of artificial coma, but he cautioned that the next steps remained unclear.
February 15 brought an update from Eva Merkacheva, a current member of the Human Rights Council, who said Svanidze was conscious but still required artificial ventilation. According to her assessment, while there was some visible improvement, it was premature to claim a significant recovery in the journalist’s condition.
Merkacheva emphasized that discharging him early would be inappropriate, given the anticipated lengthy rehabilitation while he remained on a ventilator. She described Svanidze as probably conscious but not fully able to communicate, acknowledging only limited interactions with loved ones during that period.
She added that Svanidze’s wife provided essential support, noting that the couple comes from a close and supportive family. A Human Rights Council member described them as strong and steadfast in their mutual care. This account was shared with News.ru.
On February 17, Telegram channel 112 cited an unnamed source claiming that Svanidze had been moved to another clinic, suggesting a shift in his healthcare arrangement while continuing to monitor his progress.
Despite a positive trend reported in the journalist’s condition, there was no indication of a full recovery at that time. Nikolai Karlovich, 67, faced a diagnosis that included acute cardiac, respiratory, and renal failure, septic shock, and bilateral pneumonia. The medical team was praised for managing a highly challenging situation and achieving some progress in treatment.
Family members reportedly insisted on transferring Svanidze to a different hospital, and it was noted that he had a long battle ahead due to a persistent chronic illness that remained largely incurable. This sequence of events was recounted by Moskovsky Komsomolets in an article summarizing the situation.
Earlier, a decree by President Vladimir Putin in November 2022 had altered the composition of the Human Rights Council, replacing several members, including Svanidze. Later, reports emerged that Svanidze was no longer serving as director of the Institute of Mass Communication and Advertising at the Russian State University for the Humanities. The university’s rector indicated that discussions about his potential departure were ongoing, but he would continue teaching at the institution.
Svanidze himself acknowledged that there had been talks about leaving that post and that negotiations were ongoing regarding his next role. He stated that documents about a dismissal had not been seen, and that, regardless, he would remain affiliated with the university as a teacher while a new position was contemplated. It later emerged that Vladislav Flyarkovsky had assumed the directorship of the Institute of Mass Media and Advertising, with his name appearing on the university’s official site as the current head.
— The sequence of hospital updates, official statements, and institutional changes reflected the complexity of Svanidze’s public role and medical trajectory during this period, as reported by various outlets and officials involved in human rights advocacy and academic administration.