Press Release, 10.10.2019

A series of one-person pickets (which require no permission from the authorities) in defense of political prisoners Yan Sidorov, Vladislav Mordasov and Vyacheslav Shashmin took place in Rostov-on-Don. Members of the Rostov-on-Don branch of Yabloko and residents of the city in turn went out with posters into the street. Mothers of Yan and Vladislav also took part in the picketing.

In addition, the residents of the city also held a flash mob congratulating Yan Sidorov, prisoner of conscience, on his 20s birthday on 9 October. Most of the wishes for him were about the main thing: he should meet his next, 21st birthday out of prison.

Vladislav Mordasov, 22, and Yan Sidorov, 19, were accused of organising mass riots in order to overthrow the government, and sentenced to six years and seven months and six years and six months in a maximum security penal colony, respectively. Vyacheslav Shashmin, who was accused of trying to participate in the riots, got three years of suspended sentence.

On November 5, 2017, Yan Sidorov and Vladislav Mordasov came out into the square opposite the building of the regional government and unfurled a poster “Return the land to Rostov fire victims” and were detained. The investigation lasted over 18 months. Vladislav Mordasov and Yan Sidorov stated that they were beaten and tortured at the stage of the investigation and were forced to give a confession, and in court they refused to admit their guilt.

The Human Rights Centre Memorial and Amnesty International recognised Yan Sidorov, Vladislav Mordasov and Vyacheslav Shashmin as prisoners of conscience. The Rostov-on-Don branch of Yabloko issued a statement demanding to cancel the sentence to the young people.