Press Release, 12.12.2019

On 7 December, a flash mob in support of political prisoners, the defendants of the so-called “Rostov case” – Yan Sidorov and Vladislav Mordasov – took place in Rostov-on-Don. Activists of the Yabloko party, together with other democratic forces of the city, organised the action in the format of a theatrical performance.

The participants played the roles of unlawfully convicted Yan Sidorov and Vlad Mordasov, their lawyers, a public prosecutor, a policeman seizing protesters in the square and putting them into a “cage”. Some of the people stood with signs symbolising servility to the authorities and with slogans in the spirit of “nothing depends on me” – the mouths of these participants were sealed with tape, and their hands were entangled with chains. At the end of the rally, all the chains and signs were dropped.

“Thus, we told the residents of the city the story of the Rostov young people. According to the scenario, they were acquitted in the end. Passers-by reacted with interest to what was happening,” Yelena Menshenina, one of the organisers of the rally and Yaboko member, said.

“The rally ended peacefully. This action, like other actions that took place in different cities of the country, was dedicated to the court session, at which the appeal against the sentence to Sidorov and Mordasov was to be considered,” Yelena Menshenina added.

The Rostov branch of Yabloko started a fund raising campaign in support of mothers of Yan and Vlad.

It should be noted that on 5 November, 2017, Yan Sidorov and Vladislav Mordasov went to the Soviets Square opposite the building of the government of the Rostov Region, unfurled a poster “Return the land to the Rostov fire victims” and were detained. The investigation lasted more than 18 months.  Vladislav Mordasov and Yan Sidorov stated that they were beaten and tortured at the stage of the investigation, were forced to give a confession, and in court they refused to admit their guilt. Vladislav Mordasov and Yan Sidorov received 6.5 years in a maximum security colony. They were charged with organization of non-existent “riots” and involvement in the Artpodgotovka movement, which was not true. Despite the support of citizens throughout the country, on 10 December, 2019, the Sochi Court of Appeal, at a retreat held in the building of the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don, upheld the sentence to Mordasov and Sidorov.

The Memorial Human Rights Centre and Amnesty International recognised Yan Sidorov and Vladislav Mordasov as prisoners of conscience. The Rostov branch of Yabloko issued a statement demanding to cancel the sentence to the young people. Activists of the regional branch of the party went on pickets in support of Sidorov and Mordasov. A similar picket took place in Sochi.