2 December 2024
by Lev Shlosberg
Source: Facebook
He will not give up. Gorinov’s second sentence. What kind of peace are Ukraine and Russia hoping for? / Shlosberg live
18+ THIS MATERIAL (INFORMATION) WAS PRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED BY FOREIGN AGENT LEV MARKOVICH SHLOSBERG OR CONCERNS THE ACTIVITIES OF FOREIGN AGENT LEV MARKOVICH SHLOSBERG [Under Russian law Lev Shlosberg is obliged to label his publications with this tag. We include it here solely for the purpose of informing readers who may wish to know about some of the many restrictions imposed on Russian individuals and organisations under the country’s repressive ‘foreign agent’ law.]
The Second Military Court of Russia’s Western Military District has convicted Aleksei Gorinov, a former deputy of Moscow’s Krasnoselsky district, of publicly justifying terrorism. According to investigators, Aleksei Gorinov justified the Crimean bridge explosion and the actions of terrorist organisations in a conversation with other prison hospital inmates. Clips from audio-recordings of the conversation have been used as evidence. The phrases in question were obtained via a deliberate provocation. In contravention of the law, repeat offenders were planted in Gorinov’s ward, and proceeded to ask him provocative questions. A Dictaphone was used to record the conversations. A television broadcasting propaganda was also placed in the ward.
According to Anna Saveleva, Gorinov’s lawyer, the recordings occurred over a period of 20 days. Despite the case file containing 14 hours of audio recordings, the criminal content, which had been carefully extracted by experts from the Department of Justice, only consisted of a few words. Upon initial review, state university researchers did not find anything in Gorinov’s words which constituted a criminal offence, but the prosecution argued that this was the researchers’ “private opinion”.
Gorinov was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, taking into account his first sentence for “fake news” which he received in 2022; a total of five years in a strict regime penal colony.
Gorinov is 63. He has had part of his lung removed and struggles to sit, stand, and speak – his health is in a critical condition. The sentence Gorinov has been handed is effectively a death sentence; he may not survive it.
On August 27, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov called for the Red Cross to step in. According to Novaya Gazeta, Gorinov was not provided with a mattress, a blanket, serviceable toilet facilities, or access to hot water. In addition, he was denied access to letters, phone calls, and books, essentially putting him in complete isolation.
Aleksei Gorinov is serving his sentence in the city of Pokrov’s infamous Penal Colony No.2, in Vladimir region. Konstantin Kotov and Aleksei Navalny were both previously held in this facility, and this is also where the second trial took place.
Efforts to protect not only Gorinov’s rights, but also his life, have thus far been unsuccessful. It is becoming increasingly likely that he will die before he is released.
Can Aleksei Gorinov be saved? What can and should be done to this end? Why do we need to help and protect political prisoners?
And what do the public in Ukraine and Russia think about the potential cessation of military action and the move to diplomatic negotiations?
Join us live on our YouTube channel “ГражданинЪ TV” at 19:00 today, December 2. This is of great importance to all of us.
Translated by Friedrich Berg
