30 November 2024
OVD-Info is a Russian civil society organisation that monitors politically motivated arrests and prosecutions in Russia. Each week OVD-Info publishes a bulletin with the latest news, which is translated here. To receive the mailing in Russian, visit here.
News
Aleksei Gorinov convicted of supporting terrorism for comments made to fellow prisoners; Nikita Zhuravel, (already convicted of burning a Quran), sentenced to new term on another charge; and 16-year-old schoolboy Arseny Turbin placed in solitary confinement
Aleksei Gorinov has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for conversations with other prisoners The former deputy of Moscow’s Krasnoselsky district has been found guilty of glorifying terrorism – the second criminal charge made against him. The prosecution claimed Gorinov, in conversations with those on the same ward as him in the hospital attached to the penal colony, said about the July 2023 bombing of the Crimean Bridge: ‘Well, it was blown up. That’s war. Crimea is their territory.’ In July 2022, Gorinov was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment in a general regime penal colony, after being convicted of ‘abusing his position to discredit the Russian army, motivated by political hatred.’ His sentence was reduced by one month on appeal. The charge was based on his statement that the Russian army was killing children and the fact that he had referred to the conflict in Ukraine as a ‘war’ (instead of ‘special military operation’) at a local council meeting.
- Why is this important? Aleksei Gorinov will have to spend a total of five years in a strict regime penal colony. His case was processed very quickly: in only three sittings. It is likely that the people he had these conversations with were provocateurs used to incriminate him. According to journalist Dmitry Muratov, the prisoners placed in the ex-deputy’s ward were told to start conversations with him and to use hidden microphones to record conversations.
Nikita Zhuravel, sentenced for burning a Quran, has been convicted on additional charges Nikita Zhuravel has been sentenced to thirteen and a half years in a strict regime penal colony for treason. The prosecution claims Zhuravel contacted Ukrainian intelligence services and offered to work for them, sending them a video clip of a railway junction used by trains carrying Russian military equipment in addition to providing information about the patrol patterns of military vehicles in the area. This is Zhuravel’s second criminal charge: he was sentenced to three and a half years in a penal colony for recording a video, subsequently posting it on Telegram, of him burning a Quran outside a Mosque in the southern city of Volgograd last year.
- Why do I need to know this? Nikita Zhuravel faces a combined sentence of 14 years. His case has become well-known to the public. In August, the story broke that 15-year-old Adam Kadyrov, (son of Ramzan Kadyrov, head of the Chechen Republic), attacked Zhuravel in pre-trial detention. Chechen politicians, as well as Kadyrov himself, not only failed to condemn these actions, but supported them.
Arseny Turbin, sentenced for membership of the Free Russia Legion, has been placed in solitary confinement Sixteen-year-old Arseny Turbin has been sent to a punishment cell for the legal maximum term for a minor of seven days. Officially, this was punishment for having a conversation with cellmates after lights out. In June this year, Turbin was sentenced to five years in juvenile detention for participating in a terrorist organisation. The prosecution accused him of having written to a chatbot belonging to the Free Russia Legion and filling out one of their application forms. They claim that he then posted anti-Putin leaflets to his neighbours and wrote posts to the same effect on Telegram. Turbin admits to sending the leaflets to the neighbours but claims to have done this of his own accord; he claims never to have joined the Free Russia Legion.
- Why is this important? Arseny Turbin says he was not initially given a punishment for speaking after lights out. When he was attacked by a cellmate, the prison staff did not punish the offender in any way, and only did so when Turbin’s mother intervened. In detention, the teen claimed several times he was being intimidated and that he feared for his life. He also points out that he has lost 20kg in his time there.
Writer suffering from cancer, sentenced for online posts, released from imprisonment Zakhar Zaripov had a five-year sentence in a penal colony overturned and replaced by a fine of 650,000 roubles, but this was then reduced further to 350,000 roubles after taking into account the time he had already served. He was released from pre-trial detention on 28 November. An appeal court took more than six months to review his appeal against the sentence, despite medical staff of the Federal Penitentiary Service stating that his illness should serve as grounds for his early release. In April, Zaripov had been found guilty of glorifying terrorism for posting online that Ramzan Kadyrov should not send Chechen troops to fight in Ukraine, and should instead use them to fight for Chechnya’s independence.
- Why do I need to know this? Zaripov has been complaining of a growing tumour since September 2023, but medical attention was put off for six months by the prison staff. He was given an operation at the end of October, but the tumour had already started to spread into neighbouring tissues because the operation had been put off for so long. This has left the entire right side of his face paralyzed and damaged the coordination in his right hand. In November his lawyer, Konstantin Bubon, said that his client was in danger of blindness.
Features
‘I do not equate patriotism with militarism’: Geologist Dmitry Rykov continues to protest against the war and political repression Dmitry Rykov is 40 years old and lives in Kirovgrad, a small town in Sverdlovsk region. He is a geologist for a company that mines gold in the neighbouring town of Nevyansk. The company manufactures drones for the Russian army and does repairs on military equipment to be sent back to Ukraine. Rykov regularly stages one-man pickets and considers this an affective form of voicing opposition. Read our conversation with him here.
The case of Dmitry Talantov: from judge to convict because of anti-war posts On 28 November, Zavyalovsk district court in Udmurtia sentenced lawyer Dmitry Talantov to seven years in a penal colony for anti-war posts. It is believed by his colleagues that the real reason for this verdict was his role in defending the journalist Ivan Safronov. Before his arrest, Talantov was chair of the Udmurtia Bar Association. He was a well-known opponent of the Federal Bar Association and a known supporter of Aleksei Navalny. OVD-Info investigates the charge of ‘war fakes’ (to discredit the Russian army) made against him. Read about our investigation here.
Send a New Year’s greeting to a victim of political repression New Year is a time of celebration in the company of friends and family. But those imprisoned for their beliefs do not have the opportunity to do this. We are launching a campaign to write New Year congratulations to victims of political repression. Let’s give them some warmth and congratulate them for the New Year! By using our online service, Vestochka, you can send a New Year greeting to a person chosen at random who will be meeting the New Year in a penal colony or pre-trial detention centre. Your letter will have to undergo a long journey before arriving at its addressee. In order to make sure that the letters arrive on time, and no one goes without attention this New Year, we are sending your New Year greetings well in advance. You can send your New Year greetings here.
Translated by Oscar Seecharan
