11:36, 22 December 2019

Rostov-on-Don townspeople hold action in support of political prisoners

Picketer in Rostov-on-Don, December 20, 2019. Screenshot of the page posted on the Facebook by the community "Case of the Rostov boys", https://www.facebook.com/SvobodaYanVlad/photos/pcb.142075747211194/142069583878477/?type=3&theate

On December 20, solo pickets were held in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Rostov-on-Don, demanding to release political prisoners. In Rostov-on-Don, activitsts went out to their action with posters in support of Vladislav Mordasov and Yan Sidorov, convicted under the case of "Artpodgotovka" ("Artillery Preparation", an interregional public movement, recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation, – note of the "Caucasian Knot"), and the activist, Anastasia Shevchenko.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 4, a court found Vladislav Mordasov and Yan Sidorov guilty of preparing mass riots in Rostov-on-Don in November 2017; they were sentenced to 6 years and 7 months and 6 years and 6 months in colony, respectively.

The activists interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have stated that the convicts were not among active participants of opposition actions; their case is unique. The Amnesty International (AI) has announced Sidorov and Mordasov to be prisoners of conscience, and the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" has added them to the list of political prisoners.

Anastasia Shevchenko has been under house arrest since January 23. The case against her was the first one in Russia, initiated under Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (activities of an organization recognized as undesirable in the territory of Russia). The Amnesty International recognized Shevchenko to be a prisoner of conscience. On February 8, 2019, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" declared her a political prisoner.

The December 20 pickets in Rostov-on-Don, held as part of the All-Russian action "Metropicket", were reported by the community "Case of the Rostov boys" on the Facebook.

"There is no metro in the city, but there are political prisoners. Yesterday, on Friday, Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Rostov-on-Don held a next #metropicket in support of political prisoners. People stood with posters at metro stations. There is no metro in Rostov-on-Don, but there are political prisoners – Yan Sidorov, Vlad Mordasov and Anastasia Shevchenko. Rostov has come out to support its citizens!" says the community information.

The community has also posted photos of picketers in Moscow and Saint Petersburg in support of Mordasov and Sidorov.

In Saint Petersburg, the action was held near 11 metro stations, the "Novaya Gazeta" reported on December 20, noting that in Moscow, pickets near metro stations in support of political prisoners were held for the tenth Friday in a row.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 21, 2019 at 06:31 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.