8 – 9 July 2025
by Anna Karetnikova
Source: Facebook
8 July 2025
A very interesting and informative text, written in clear language, about how entire families are being prosecuted and imprisoned in Russia. And about how many children are these days being left without a father or mother because their parents are in prison. This is interesting in light of the everlasting debate, “Is it already 1937 – or not yet?” I was asked this question recently during a debate. And I said no, it’s not 1937, it’s 2025, it’s just different. But for everyone whose son, daughter, wife, or mother is in prison, yes, it’s probably their own local, personal 1937. And there are more and more people who feel this way. But I would still recommend taking a look at this review, it’s impressive.
Source: Facebook
8 July 2025
And now Irkutsk. Another human rights activist who was interested in torture in prisons. This morning, they came with machine guns to the home of Svyatoslav Khromenkov and took him away. We are monitoring developments, hoping they will apologize and release him, but they don’t usually do that. All in all, it’s been a disturbing morning.
Searches are being conducted at the homes of those in any way connected with human rights or the media in Kaliningrad, Karelia, Yoshkar-Ola, and the Revolt Centre in Syktyvkar.
Evidently, the security forces’ work in these regions in the first half of this year did not satisfy their bosses in terms of cracking down on extremists. They need to start the second half with a bang to redeem themselves.
The link to the Mediazona piece about the search at Khromenkov’s home is here.
Source: Facebook
9 July 2025
We should have been afraid of our wishes, because they came true… Not so long ago, people were asking: Why are political prisoners detained in the same places as criminals? Well, now they will be separated. In the FSB pre-trial detention centre.
Quite unnoticed, against the backdrop of the latest wave of searches and arrests, the FSB has grabbed new powers in this area and soon, maybe, will also grab new funding, premises, and territory.
This means roughly the following: if your case is being handled by someone from the FSB, then he will also have power over you as the boss of the detention centre (or a special block therein) where you are being held. It is he that feeds you, gives you medical care, and chooses your neighbours. And if he thinks the investigation is not going very well, then the food and treatment may get worse, and your neighbours in the cell may become less friendly.
Yes, of course, this has happened before. But in the past, the FSB officer always had to ask the head of the detention centre for help in arranging things for the investigation just as he wanted or, say, to make your life strangely worse. And in special circumstances, the FSB guy had to bring along a bottle of something nice, say the right words, give a wink, and spend time on all this. Now he doesn’t have to bother with any of that. With one hand he fabricates the case, while with the other he signs an order to transfer the villain to a cell with no windows or doors. Or, for example, he signs the order for the complete isolation of the prisoner and a ban on all correspondence. After all, the investigative authorities have the right to censor… and, that’s it. Your letters? What are you talking about? The censor needs time to do his work…
Well, Russia has said goodbye to the Council of Europe. That window to Europe that was opened … and is now closed. All that remains is the feeding slot – the small window in the cell door for providing food. Or not.
Source: Facebook
9 July 2025
I am not casting stones at those who plead guilty. It is, of course, bad to testify against others who do not admit their guilt. Yes, yes, “You can take the cigarette, but don’t agree to anything more…” (c) – I remember. I know the ‘rule’ that you shouldn’t help those who have pleaded guilty and testified against others. Don’t give them anything, don’t defend them, don’t correspond with them. But I also know that there are different methods of persuasion. Even without torture, just words.
Maybe they say:
Go on, say the same thing, but using different words. Here, see what’s written here…
And then there are bonuses: you might get life, but instead you’ll get five years. And they, your accomplices, will get seven.
Life means you’ll never get to see your old grandmother or mother again, your girl will marry someone else, and you’ll catch tuberculosis and rot in a stone cell.
Five years means you just need to be patient for a bit, time flies by and you’ll see your family again.
Think about yourself, not them, it’s your life.
Or they might say this:
There’s half an hour left until the end of the working day, sign it or don’t sign it, in half an hour I’m leaving – my wife is waiting for me.
Yesterday you lost at checkers, tonight your cellmates will rape you.
Source: Facebook
Translated by Simon Cosgrove
