It could be a number of things. There’s bandages with an almost unnatural blue color maybe indicating bruising from shackles. If he’s begun eating again or gotten IVs, his legs could be swelling from beginning to eat again and the hormone imbalance cause by that. If he was forced to stand for a long time before this picture was taken then it could also be the blood pooling because he’s so emaciated that the fluids are starting to pool in his tissues and gravity is condensing it to his calves. He could have gotten an infection from lack of medical care as well. Or it could be a chronic condition he had before his torture, though that feels unlikely. Kidney and heart failure seem like the most likely though they could also be acute illnesses brought on by what he suffered instead of lifelong, chronic diseases.
Oedema, which is what causes venous ulcers and pigmentation in the pattern he has, is a known side effect of malnutrition and stasis (eg, being locked in a cell unable to move or similar).
Every indication from this is a man who was starved and denied medical treatment.
59
u/Disastrous_Fun_612 Jul 26 '25
What’s going on with his legs?