Press Release, 15.07.2014

YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin and the human rights defenders forwarded an appeal to head of the Federal Service for Execution of Punishment colonel general Gennady Korniyenko demanding to stop arbitrary treatment of the prisoners in the Tambov colony settlement where the ecologist Evgeny Vitishko endures the punishment since his suspended sentence was replaced by a real prison term.

Member of Presidential Council for human rights Andrei Babushkin, human rights defender and member of the Prosecutor General’s Scientific and advisory council Valeri Borshchyov, coordinator of the Environmental Watch on North Caucasus Andrei Rudomakha, professor and doctor of political sciences Mikhail Savva and head of the Krasnodar charity public group “Southern human rights centre”Semyon Simonov signed the appeal together with Sergei Mitrokhin.

The appeal runs that the authority of the Tambov Penal Colony No 2 carries a purposeful campaign aiming to announce punishment to human rights advocate Egveny Vitishko.

A new wave of punishments against political prisoner Evgeny Vitishko started after he was visited by the human rights defenders and Sergei Mitrokhin on July 2. After the visit Sergei Mitrokhin made a number of publications about the situation in the colony, treatment of the prisoners and Vitishko’s human rights activities.

On July 3 Evgeny Vitishko was prohibited to leave the building for ten days for “habitual negligence of labour”. Vitishko appealed against the decision.

On July 9 Vitishko received another summary punishment as a reprimand for supposedly keeping food in the wrong place- the bags of a pantry unit.

However, Vitishko had given explanations about this before the punishment. There is no other place for keeping food for the prisoners who don’t eat in the canteen and most of the prisoners keep their food exactly this way. There’s only one fridge and several cupboards for the dishes and nothing else. Vitishko appealed to court in connection with violation of his rights. It’s already a third time when Vitishko appeals to court from the colony.

“We think that the reason for persecution of Evgeny Vitishko is his human rights activity. This way he filed an application and gave evidence about the facts of unjustified violence against the prisoners on behalf of the colony staff on May 20, 2014”, runs the statement.

The human rights defenders note that the campaign for freedom of the well-know ecologist, political prisoner Evgeny Vitishko takes place around the world: the actions in support of Vitishko are held in Russia, Europe, the USA.

“Vitishko himself didn’t commit any infractions in the colony. Of course if one doesn’t consider the struggle for one’s rights a violation. If the pressure on Vitishko is toughened it will become a worldwide news in such conditions. We guarantee it. It will do damage to the reputation of the Federal Service for Execution of Punishment”, said the authors of the appeal.

Sergei Mitrokhin and the human rights defenders demand from the head of the Federal Service for Execution of Punishment to use his authority to protect the rights of Evgeny Vitishko.