Press Release, 27.02.2026

Photo: Participants of the action of writing letters to political prisoners / Photo by Vyacheslav Radchenko

On 26 February, the Moscow Yabloko party held its traditional the action of writing letters to political prisoners, ​​this time the event was dedicated to women political prisoners and timed to coincide with 8 March, Women’s Solidarity Day. Journalists, artists, human rights defenders, activists… mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, and girlfriends – strong and courageous women – need support and letters from outside just as much as male political prisoners, noted the event’s organisers and guests.

The event traditionally attracts the largest number of participants before 8 March. This year was no exception – there was barely enough space in the hall where guests usually write letters to political prisoners, and many sat in the lobby.

Opening the evening, Andrei Morev, a member of the party’s Federal Bureau, recalled the tragic, sometimes terrifying moments experienced by female political prisoners and asked the participants to share with them the warmth and kindness that these women especially need.

Yabloko Chairman Nikolai Rybakov encouraged everyone to participate in the letter writing events, as letters are the only constant connection of prisoners to life outside; they support prisoners’ mental well-being and often literally save their lives:

“Letters from outside protect political prisoners from tragedies like the one that, unfortunately, happened to Pavel Kushnir. I hope this was a terrible exception that will never be repeated.”

According to human rights defenders, there are 1,378 political prisoners in Russia as of February 13. At least 20% of them are women. This is not quite the same as male political prisoners, although it is clear that all political prisoners share a common injustice and unlawful isolation from their families and loved ones. A woman in prison is always a story of double isolation and particular vulnerability.

In the Russian penitentiary system, women face not only imprisonment but also colossal psychological pressure: prison life, with its lack of privacy and strict regimen, takes a particularly painful toll on women’s dignity and health. The severing of social ties, especially with children, often leads to emotional and mental health problems.

Photo: Video address to the participants of the event by artist and ex political prisoner Sasha Skochilenko / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

The idea of ​​saving the life of a political prisoner through a letter, kind words, and support was expressed in a touching video message from artist and former political prisoner Alexandra Skochilenko to the participants of the evening. She explained that the number of letters received by a prisoner is often a signal to the prison or pretrial detention centre administration to reduce pressing on the prisoner. It is worth noting that Sasha Skochilenko created a series of postcards, “Freedom Within Us,” specifically for this campaign.

“The thing is, when a prison receives a lot of letters addressed to a specific person, the prison administration understands that many people care about that person, that they thinks about these prisoners, and that their fate is being monitored. And, therefore, in some cases, this has motivated prison staff to commit fewer violations against that person. So please, don’t stop. Write letters!” Sasha Skochilenko urged.

Photo: Postcards by Sasha Skochilenko / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Writer and artist Maria Voloshchuk spoke about women with serious illnesses, who face particular hardships in prison, and asked to write collective letters to political prisoners Maria Bontsler, Maria Ponomarenko, and Lyudmila Razumova.

The event’s organiser, Anna Shatunovskaya-Byurno, told the story of the persecution of Daria Yegereva, a defender of the rights of the Selkup people and an internationally renowned activist for an NGO dedicated to protecting indigenous peoples in the Russian Federation. Daria is currently in pretrial detention on charges of participating in an extremist group.

And yet, despite the tragic topic, the evening proved to be full of hope. Participants read poems by Alexander Pushkin, Anna Akhmatova, and Yevgenia Berkovich. Dreams of freedom, so necessary for our country throughout history, created a common leitmotif, unifying and motivating people.

During the evening, participants wrote 500 letters to 128 political prisoners. Anna Shatunovskaya-Byurno expressed her hope that most of the letters, dedicated to and addressed to women, should be delivered by 8 March.

See more photos here.