Press Release, 1.03.2024

Based on the publications in the Telegram channel of the Kirov branch of Yabloko

Photo: Svetlana Marina / Photo by the Kirov branch of Yabloko

Today, on 1 March, the Pervomaysky District Court of Kirov found Yabloko supporter Svetlana Marina guilty under the article of repeated discrediting of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and sentenced her to 1.5 years of forced labour.

It should be noted that at the previous hearing, on 28 February, the public prosecutor requested two years in a penal colony for Svetlana Marina and insisted on issuing her a three-year ban on administration of web-sites.

Svetlana, 56, has lived all her life in Kirov and has been working as a software engineer. She came to activism in 2014, started by participating in street actions against political repression, in defence of human rights and political prisoners, and then came to organisation of many events. “At first I was an ordinary participant in street actions, but then I began to organise them myself. When the authorities refused to give permission for the actions, I filed lawsuits challenging the refusals,” Svetlana says.

Photo: Svetlana Marina during the trial wearing a T-shirt with a quote by Boris Nemtsov, the murdered critic of the Kremiln, “We defend truth” / Photo by the Kirov branch of Yabloko

Activists of the Kirov regional branch of the Yabloko party note Svetlana’s contribution of the Yabloko events, such as writing letters to political prisoners, she was the anchor in these events, informed people of the events, sent letters and postcards written at the actions to political prisoners, made parcels and helped political prisoners establish correspondence with their families.