Signed by Alexei Gorinov, Anna Arkhipova, Vladimir Domnin, Boris Kagarlitsky, Darya Kozyreva, Dmitry Pchelintsev, Andrei Trofimov, Ilya Shakursky, Alexander Shestun, Artem Kagardin, Azat Miftakhov
We, the Russian political prisoners, appeal to all international leaders who care about the suffering of people because of their beliefs.
We are at least 10,000 Russian political prisoners and Ukrainian civilian hostages. We are all punished for one thing: taking a civic stance.
The concepts of justice and fairness are absent in today’s Russia; anyone who dares to think critically can end up behind bars.
Since 2012, repressive laws aimed at eliminating any dissent have been steadily tightened. Between 2018 and 2022, at least 50 repressive laws were passed, and as of February 24, 2022, more than 60.
In Russia, there are no acquittals in politically motivated cases. The cruelty of punishments is increasing; no one is surprised by sentences of 10, 15, or 20 years in prison. The State Duma (Parliament) regularly calls for the reinstatement of the death penalty.
The chances of Russian courts hearing these cases fairly were slim before, but they disappeared definitively after Russia refused to comply with the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights in 2022.
Human rights institutions in modern Russia have been replaced by bodies that merely mimic human rights activities. As a result, the health and lives of prisoners are at risk, and torture and coercion against them often go uninvestigated and unpunished.
Political prisoners are, more often than others, held in harsher conditions and deprived of the possibility of parole and legal relaxation of their detention regime.
The practice of initiating additional criminal cases based on complaints from other convicts has become widespread.
But despite all this, we haven’t lost our voice, we haven’t been forgotten. We’ve maintained our civic stance, which we consider important to express:
* We call on both sides in the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to immediately proceed with the exchange of prisoners of war and civilians on an “all for all” basis, including Ukrainian civilian hostages.
* We demand the immediate and unconditional release of sick political prisoners who are dying in Russian jails.
* We count on politicians from different countries to create the necessary conditions for the release of all people persecuted in Russia for political reasons.
* We urge the media in various countries not to remain silent and to cover the activities of Russian citizens who continue to risk their lives in the fight for freedom and democracy.
* We call on politicians in democratic countries to support the struggle of Russian prisoners and adopt resolutions on behalf of parliaments, political associations, and parties.
Only together can we bring the moment of freedom and peace closer.
Reposted from here. For more information, visit the Boris Kagarlitsky International Solidarity Campaign.