25 March – 1 April 2025
by Vera Vasilieva
Source: Facebook
25 March 2025
My whole heart goes out to you!
25 March 2025
by Sergei Maryin
Today, 25 March 2025, a court in the Lenin district of Saransk – Mordovia’s capital – sentenced me to one year’s imprisonment in a low security penal colony. A reasonable punishment for stating an opinion, these days. I will appeal the decision. I write briefly only to point out that the court is not only required to take into account my previous punishment on administrative grounds, a sentence which served as grounds to charge me with a criminal offence under Article 280.3, Part 1, of the Russian Criminal Code, but also the violation of my right to a legal defence when that sentence was handed down. The October district court in Saransk had refused to question one legal expert who had given their opinion but who had not signed the document agreeing to responsibility under administrative law for giving false evidence. This is an issue for the Constitutional Court to decide.
Source: Facebook
Source: Facebook
26 March 2025
About Human Rights Defender Sergei Maryin
Many of those who correspond with Aleksandr Markin, convicted on trumped-up criminal charges, probably know that he, being a true believer, keeps (for himself) a list of people for whom he prays. If news reached beyond the barbed wire fence as quickly as reaches us, then last night a new name would have appeared on that list: that of human rights activist Sergei Maryin from Saransk. Yesterday, he was sentenced to one year in a low security penal colony for so-called ‘discrediting’ the Russian army. They say that in our time, two years in a penal colony amounts to an acquittal. What then can we say about Maryin’s sentence? But I don’t want to get used to such times.
I got acquainted with Sergei when he was a member of Mordovia’s Public Monitoring Commission [for places of detention – ed.] almost the only person I knew of at that time who was actually doing the work he was supposed to be doing, that is, engaging in human rights work in places of detention. He once travelled 200 kilometres to visit Aleksandr Markin, who had not yet seen a lawyer. Aleksandr Markin, unjustly convicted, had been brutally beaten, as a result of which he suffered serious damage to his health and he was not given any medical care. Sergei’s visit gave real support to Aleksandr. Then I realized that if we – representatives of civil society – do not help Aleksandr, no one will help him. We started collecting money, and Sergei Maryin recommended a lawyer, who continues to help Aleksandr to this day, thanks to the kind people who support his work financially. This has saved – without exaggeration – his life.
And now Sergei Maryin has been convicted. The courage and directness we hear in his statements do not allow him to think about his own self-preservation. I would like to help him very much. But how? One of the very few remaining things we can do is not to keep silent.
29 March 2025
Letter from Aleksei Pichugin
The other day I received a letter from Aleksei Pichugin, dated 8 December last year, containing, among other things, New Year’s greetings. Better late than never. It contains lines addressed to all those who are not indifferent and who support him:
“My family and I thank all those who are with us, who wish for what is good and for freedom! I thank everyone again and again for so much warmth, understanding, sympathy and empathy! I am touched, God bless you all! With respect, warmth, gratitude and hope.”
I wrote back – with Easter greetings and a card.
Source: Facebook
1 April 2025
Here is a good article in the publication Regionalmy aspekt about human rights activist Sergei Maryin, who recently was sentenced to a year in a low security penal colony for his opinion about what is happening in Ukraine. Thanks to the author for quoting my statement:
‘Free as the wind. The story of Mordovian human rights activist Sergei Maryin, who helped prisoners and was sent to a penal colony for his opinion about Putin,’ Regionalny aspekt, 1 April 2025
Source: Facebook
Translated by Oscar Seecharan
