Famous Russian actors, journalists and human rights activists talk about Alexey Pichugin
July 25, 2020 marks Alexey Pichugin’s 58th birthday. The last 17 of those birthdays were spent in prison. Memorial and other human rights organizations have acknowledged Pichugin a political prisoner and prisoner of conscience. And the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg twice found Pichugin’s trials unfair and noted that his verdicts must be reviewed. To mark Alexey Pichugin’s birthday, Novaya Gazeta released a film in which well-known actors, journalists and human rights activists discuss Alexey.
Kara-Murza, Victor Shenderovich and others support political prisoner Alexey Pichugin.
July 25, 2020
July 25, 2020 marks the 58th birthday of former Yukos staffer Alexey Pichugin. The last 17 of those birthdays were spent behind bars, in the Orenburg prison for those serving life – the Black Dolphin.
Moscow City Court twice convicted Pichugin of organizing a series of murders and attempted murders. One of the Yukos staffer’s trials was held in closed court, while the second trial was accompanied by violations and scandals, and the jury that was leaning toward acquittal was disbanded [sic – the jury was disbanded during the first trial].
The General Prosecutor’s Office based its main charges against Pichugin on statements by criminals that included serial killers and rapists, some of whom later recanted, admitting they toed the line as instructed by investigators in exchange for promises of leniency and shorter prison terms. They were to testify against Pichugin, whom they didn’t know, and his bosses – the Yukos shareholders Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Leonid Nevzlin.
Memorial and other human rights organizations have acknowledged Pichugin a political prisoner and prisoner of conscience. And the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg twice found Pichugin’s trials unfair and noted that his verdicts must be reviewed. But Russia is ignoring the Strasburg judgments to this day.
In a birthday tribute, journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., priest Alexey Uminsky, actresses Natalia Fateyeva and Lia Akhejakova, theatr.doc actor Konstantin Kozhevnikov, satire writer Victor Shenderovich, human rights activists Zoya Svetova, Svetlana Astrakhantzeva, Sergei Davidis and Nadezhda Radnayeva talk about what you need to know about Alexey Pichugin’s case and the kind of man he is.
You can watch the film here
