On the occasion of the awarding of the Boris-Nemtsov-price Russian human rights activist soy Svetova held in Bonn, Germany. The DW talked with her about political prisoners and the recent protests in Russia.
Arrests during the protests in Moscow on may 12. June 2017
In all the years that she has worked for human rights, the situation has deteriorated in Russia. This was emphasized by the Russian journalist and human rights activist, soy Svetova in an Interview with Zhanna Nemzowa. Svetova was a member from 2008 to 2016, the Supervisory Commission for the observance of the human rights of the city of Moscow, a total of 85 regional commissions in Russia.
But after eight years of Svetova of law was not allowed to belong because of the same Commission. She wanted to be a candidate for the Supervisory Commission in the Republic of Mordovia. “You didn’t let me out of formal reasons for the choice. Later, I learned about well-Known that the Russian security service FSB against my candidacy,” said Svetova.
For years, they have visited the Moscow Lefortovo prison. Officially it would be the Ministry of justice, the FSB determined the order. Svetova, according to people who are accused of crimes against the state, corruption, terrorism, and treason sit there. During your Visit you have found many violations. “Often, these people do not have to be left to lawyers or their lawyers to them. For some I was the only Person from the outside, which will help you and information about you could give,” said the human rights activist. It was the authorities, a thorn in the eye.
Soy Svetova criticized the treatment of prisoners in Russian prisons
In The Case Of Staff Of The Russian Federation
A case, Svetova remembers well is that of the Ukrainian film Director Oleg Sentsov. He was convicted in Russia on terrorism. He didn’t want to blow up a Lenin monument in the Crimea, so the accusation. “There was no evidence. He went to prison because he was against the annexation of the Crimea”, – said Svetova. Sentsov had been in the Crimea is very active. He had helped the Ukrainian military to leave the Peninsula. “The man has impressed me. He has, despite the brutal torture of not guilty,” said Svetova.
Sentsov is serving his sentence now in the Siberian town of Yakutsk. His case made Public, a great deal of attention, which is comparable with the cases of Nadiya Savchenko and Ildar Dadin. You free came finally, under pressure from the international community. On the question of whether it could also be staff of the Russian Federation, said Svetova: “as far as I’ve heard, is staff of the Russian Federation in Putin’s eyes for the Crimea, and the Crimea for Putin is something of a concern of the last years of life. I don’t know what Putin could let him go.”
Oleg Sentsov was sentenced in Russia to 20 years in prison
Penalty for workup, the Stalin time?
Svetova also criticized many court proceedings, including against the Russian researchers Yuriy Dmitriev from Karelia. In their eyes, he has actually earned a state award. Because in the course of 30 years he had discovered many mass graves of people who were shot in the Stalin period. The tombs have become memorials to the victims of Stalinist repression.
“But Dmitriev has also published the names of the executioners. The executioners have children and grandchildren, who are probably today in the same structures. If your ancestors employee of the Soviet secret service, the NKVD, then one can assume that their children and grandchildren are to later become employees of the FSB. You do not want the names of their ancestors to be called,” said Svetova.
A number of unknown cases
Furthermore, Svetova stressed that many cases would not make it up in the media. Including many that would come in spite of serious diseases in prison.
An example of Yulia Rotanowa. She was a bookkeeper of an organization that is associated with the one of President Vladimir Putin dismissed defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov in connection. Svetova, according to Rotanowa had to do with any machinations. “However, the cancer sick woman got six years in prison. You demanded from her, against Serdyukov to testify, which she declined. We have managed, from the Lefortovo prison to find out. We were able to prove that she is sick and urgently needs surgery. After the Operation, she came back in detention,” said Svetova.
“It can’t go on forever”
Although in February the housing of the people was a rights activist in connection with the Yukos case, hours-long searches, in an effort not to lose your optimism.
“I believe in the victory of Good over Evil. Putin is not eternal. And these forces of Evil are not eternal. There must happen something. Russia may not be to any place, where everything is so terrible, where people are thrown into prison. In Moscow and in all Russia rallies have taken place. People are brutally arrested,” said Svetova. However, she is firmly convinced that it can’t go in Russia.