Six and a half years of a maximum security colony for a picket
Statement by the Novosibirsk branch of Yabloko, 10.10.2019
Two more prisoners of conscience appeared in Russia: in Rostov-on-Don 19-year-old Yan Sidorov and 22-year-old Vladislav Mordasov were sentenced was sentenced to six years and six months and six years and six months in a maximum security colony respectively. On November 5, 2017, they were detained at a picket dedicated to local problems: return of land to fire victims. They have been being persecuted for deciding to use their constitutional right to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly.
Russia is rapidly rolling back towards the historical line of state terror. Yan Sidorov and Vladislav Mordasov are the next victims of this case. But when society takes people who are unjustly condemned under its protection, the government sometimes makes concessions, mitigating or repealing sentences. However, society more often responds to resonant cases in the capitals affecting famous people, while ordinary residents of the province remain defenseless against the arbitrariness of the authorities. So what about the rest?
We demand to immediately release Yan and Vladislav.
We urge all those who are not indifferent to this to go out on pickets in support of this stance.
Posted: October 14th, 2019 under Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Speech, Human Rights.