Russia’s Political Prisoners is the project dedicated to those prisoners in Russian jails, camps, and pretrial detention centers who were deprived of their freedom for political reasons.
Despite the fact that current Russian authorities deny that political prosecution occurs in the country, the majority of human rights activists, both in Russia and abroad, strongly disagree. According to the Memorial Anti-Discrimination Center in Moscow, as of August 7, 2014, 46 people in Russia were recognized as political prisoners. Supporting them and getting them released is a top priority for civic and human rights activists.
Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia’s best-known political prisoner, said in December 2013, two days after his release: “You should not see me as a symbol that there are no political prisoners left in Russia. I am asking you to see me as a symbol that the efforts of civil society may lead to the release even of those people whose release was not expected by anyone. We must continue to do all we can to make sure that there are no more political prisoners in Russia or, for that matter, in any other country. I will do everything in my power to work towards this goal.”
IMR believes that raising awareness about those individuals who have been prosecuted and found guilty for political reasons is a crucial element of the campaign for their release. Based on this belief, we have launched a series of articles portraying each of Russia’s political prisoners.
The recognition of a person as a political prisoner signifies neither agreement with the views of this person, nor the approval of his or her statements or actions on the part of the Institute of Modern Russia.
