Week-ending 25 April 2025
Viliuia Choinova: “Speaking out against Russia’s war in Ukraine and its colonial policies has become increasingly dangerous, with Indigenous activists facing imprisonment, exile, or violence. The recent designation of 172 Indigenous and ethnic organizations as “terrorist” has criminalized Indigenous activism, making legal operations nearly impossible and forcing many into exile or underground work. […]”
Zarema Gasanova: “I had to leave Russia due to the risk of persecution for my anti-war position. Now in exile, my activism has shifted towards raising awareness internationally, supporting Indigenous communities in resisting militarization, as well as creating networks of solidarity among Indigenous peoples facing similar struggles. […]”
Victoria Maladaeva: “Since the start of the war in Ukraine, my activism became more visible, and now I frequently receive threats. Although I don’t live in Russia, I have to take safety precautions, as there are threats to get to me even here in the United States. My social media accounts are constantly under attack, and at one point, I was receiving 3-5 hacking attempt notifications on my Instagram per day. […]” – Source: ‘Meet three female Indigenous anti-war activists from Russia,’ Amnesty International, 23 April 2025
Background from Amnesty International: During Russia’s escalating repression following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 172 indigenous and decolonial organisations have been designated as “terrorist” by the Russian authorities. Amnesty International spoke to three female Indigenous rights activists from Russia, currently in exile, to discuss the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine on their activism, their communities and women’s leadership. Zarema Gasanova is an Avar indigenous rights and feminist activist from Dagestan, Victoria Maladaeva is a Buryat-Mongolian activist and co-founder of the Indigenous of Russia Foundation, while Viliuia Choinova is an environmental engineer and Sakha activist from the Republic of Sakha, currently studying in Berlin.
“Today’s verdict is another chilling reminder of how far the Russian authorities will go to silence peaceful opposition to their war in Ukraine. Daria Kozyreva is being punished for quoting a classic of 19th-century Ukrainian poetry, for speaking out against an unjust war and for refusing to stay silent. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Daria Kozyreva and everyone imprisoned under ‘war censorship laws’.”
– Natalia Zviagina, Amnesty International’s Russia Director, reacting to the conviction of 19-year-old anti-war activist Daria Kozyreva for “repeated discreditation of the Russian armed forces”
– Source: ‘Russia: Activist Daria Kozyreva conviction for poetic anti-war protest exposes continued repression,’ Amnesty International, 18 April 2025
Background from Amnesty International: On 18 April, the Petrogradsky District Court of St. Petersburg sentenced Daria Kozyreva, a former medical student, to two years and eight months in a penal colony under the draconian law on “discreditation of the armed forces” (Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code). She was convicted for peaceful acts of dissent: posting a blog entry criticizing Russia’s war in Ukraine; giving an interview to a RFE/RL media project; and affixing a quote from the poem “Testament” by renowned Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko to his monument in St. Petersburg. The quote read: “Oh bury me, then rise ye up / And break your heavy chains / And water with the tyrants’ blood / The freedom you have gained”. Daria Kozyreva spent nearly a year in pre-trial detention and was subjected to forced psychiatric evaluation. On 7 February 2025, she was released from pre-trial detention, as she had been held for the maximum time allowed. Her freedom remained restricted: she was under curfew and prohibited from using her phone or the Internet and from talking to the media.
‘We call on all participants in negotiations to achieve peace in Ukraine to put the human dimension first: the fate of prisoners of war and the protection of civilians, including in the occupied territories. We insist that negotiations should be based on the fundamental norms of international legal agreements, the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act, since they define the concept of aggression, uphold the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty, and link military and political security with human rights. Without this, it is impossible to achieve a just and sustainable peace.’
– Source: ‘”Return respect for the rule of law and human rights to international politics!” Appeal by Russian human rights defenders,’ Memorial Human Rights Defence Centre, 25 April 2025
Background from Memorial Human Rights Defence Centre: The appeal was adopted and signed by members of the Council of Russian Human Rights Defenders: Galina Arapova, Alexander Cherkasov, Sergey Davidis, Leonid Drabkin, Yuri Dzhibladze, Sergey Krivenko, Sergey Lukashevsky, Karinna Moskalenko, Oleg Orlov, Lev Ponomarev, Elena Shakhova. The names of other Council members who participated in the drafting of the appeal and signed it are not indicated for security reasons. With requests for comments, please write to hu*****************@****on.me. 24 April 2025
“For most NATO member countries, there can be no future security in Europe without a clear and indisputable military defeat for Russia in Ukraine. This is the indispensable and most likely sufficient condition for creating the foundation not for a change of regime, which will be up to the Russians alone to decide, but for replacing the war clan currently in power in Moscow with a group of pragmatic leaders, willing to break with the imperialist policy pursued by the current Russian authorities.”
– extract from ‘Appeal to European heads of state and government’
– Source: ‘“Europe at a crossroads”: Open letter calls for 180,000 European troops to defend Ukraine,’ Euromaidan Press, 24 April 2025
Background from Euromaidan Press: 500 prominent European figures, including Nobel laureate Harvey J. Alter, have signed an open letter urging European governments to deploy 180,000 troops to defend Ukraine’s borders against Russian aggression. The appeal comes as a “Coalition of the Willing” – now encompassing 30 countries led by the UK and France – has been formed to create a “reassurance force” for Ukraine. While only France and the UK have officially committed troops so far, the coalition is working on the details of deploying forces to strategic locations like cities, ports, and power plants across Ukraine, though not along front lines. Concerns continue to grow about Belarus’s Zapad-2025 military exercises potentially serving as a prelude to a new invasion of Ukraine.
