Volgograd activists call to support political prisoners with letters

Organizers and participants of the evening of letters to political prisoners in Volgograd, despite fears of detentions and provocations by law enforcers, called support for those unfairly arrested and convicted for their civic position an important mission.

Since 2024, the “Yabloko” Party has been holding “Letters to Political Prisoners” events on the last Thursday of every month. On March 27, the event was held in the Volgograd Region for the fifth time, a “Caucasian Knot” correspondent was informed by Alexander Yefimov, an organizer of the event, a member of the federal bureau of the “Yabloko” Party.

Alexander Yefimov says that the first actions in Volgograd were tense, and the organizers and participants were afraid of provocations and detentions. “However, the feeling of security increases with each action, and the tension disappears ... Now people get to know each other, and jokes are heard. A very friendly and calm atmosphere is developing,” the activist noted.

The letters are sent at the expense of the “Yabloko” Party. The organizer provides the participants of the action with information about political prisoners. Activists choose a person from a list to whom they are going to write, or come with their own addresses.

One of the participants of the action said that she wrote a letter to Maria Ponomarenko, a convicted journalist from Barnaul. Human rights defenders from the “Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial”* human rights project recognized Maria Ponomarenko as a political prisoner.

The activist believes that those who are free should support people who share their views and should let them (political prisoners) know that they are not alone. The activist admitted that she did not feel any danger. She is participating in the action for the fourth time.

Another participant in the action wrote a letter to Ruslan Nurushev and two other political prisoners.

“Ruslan Nurushev, like many other people, was convicted for words, for an opinion, the right to which is guaranteed to citizens by our Constitution. The sentences to these people are unlawful, since they are unconstitutional. I wrote my words of support to these victims of the political regime. This is all I can do,” an activist emphasized.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.