A group of Russian cultural figures have published an open letter calling for a fund-raising drive to pay for legal aid for jailed participants of political opposition rallies, the RBC news agency reported Monday.
Actor Oleg Basilashvili, novelist Vladimir Voinovich, poet and songwriter Yuly Kim, and physicist Alexander Gorodnitsky said in their letter they planned to raise money for “emergency legal aid” for those detained at protest rallies, the report said.
?€?Among the detainees [at protest rallies], there are political activists who know what they will be facing, but the majority are ordinary citizens who attend peaceful actions, envisaged by the Constitution, and who never expected to end up behind bars because of that,?€? the letter was quoted as saying.
The letter comes on the heels of a Moscow city court verdict, sentencing political activist Ildar Dadin to three years in prison for ?€?repeatedly?€? breaking Russian protest laws, despite the prosecution's calling for a two-year sentence.
?€?Neither you, nor we, can stop the shameful practice of the dispersal of peaceful demonstrations,?€? the open letter said, RBC reported. ?€?But it is in our power to not leave our compatriots, who got into trouble, without help.?€?
?€?The system has a century-long experience of abusing people and of mass murders,?€? the letter said. ?€?That's why it's necessary [to make sure] that by the time the detainees are escorted to a police station, there is already a lawyer ready to defend them.?€?
The fundraising drive was proposed by Russian politician and democratic activist Leonid Gozman, and an account for donations will be set up in his name on the Russian Yandex.Money online payment service, RBC reported.
Everyone who makes a donation will be able to monitor who the money is spent on, Gozman was quoted by RBC as saying.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.