For Nadezda Savchenko in the prison hospital identified a floor

Zoe Svetova – known Russian journalist and human rights activist. She has four children, three of whom – young and promising journalists – Tikhon, Philip and Timothy Dzyadko.

A light from a family of famous Soviet dissidents. Her grandfather, Feliks Fridlyand, was the first Dean of the History Faculty of Moscow State University and died in 1937 in Stalin’s torture chambers.

Therefore, the main theme of journalistic activity light – human rights work, human rights, judicial and penal system of Russia.

In September last year Svetova signed a statement demanding “to stop the aggressive adventure: to withdraw from the territory of Ukraine Russian troops and stop the propaganda, material and military support to the separatists in the south-east of Ukraine.”

Now Svetova cooperates with the “Open Russia” site, which is financed by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, and writes about human rights violations in Russia.

As a member of the Moscow Oversight Commission, Zoe Svetova regularly visits prisons, detention centers and colonies in Moscow. Public control in the Russian prisons emerged in 2009, when the first human rights on the basis of the new law was admitted to the places of detention. They can not discuss the details of the arrested criminal cases and the circumstances of going to jail, only to watch their living conditions. However, these human rights inspections allow the dead to break the wall of silence, which fence off intelligence agencies caught in the difficult circumstances of people.

It was during such inspections Zoe Svetova accidentally found two Ukrainian citizens accused of spying against Russia, and told of their fate. But how many Ukrainians are now contained in Russian prisons – unknown.

On the territory of Russia temporarily home to about 3 million citizens of Ukraine who came there to work or were under the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation as a result of the annexation of the Crimea. Many of them may be subject to pressure from the Russian special services or individual employees, who due to human destinies and fabricated cases seeking prizes, awards and promotions.

Zoe Svetova touched the tip of the iceberg, only denoting a serious problem that will have to solve the Ukrainian state and Ukrainian diplomats in Russia.

– Why did you decide to collect signatures for the liberation of the Russians Hope Savchenko ?

– I visited Hope Savchenko, “Sailor’s silence” 3 February, spoke to her. Honestly, when her lawyers said she would not stand the hunger strike, and could die , I do not believe it.

But when I saw her, she was frightened. It has changed a lot during the hunger strike, very thin, I think, is 20 kg . And the prison doctors said that she had a very bad analyzes, and, quite possibly, it will have to force-feed.

I told Hope about the plans of doctors, she said: “I will regard it as torture, I’m going to end if I will have to feed, I’ll die.”. What does it mean? How can she die? All sorts of terrible thoughts climb in a head that could happen to her.

Together with a colleague on the Public Monitoring Commission tried to dissuade her from hunger. She’s talking to us very kindly. She says: “Yes, found a cut diamond I understand everything, but. I understand that, maybe Putin would like to” Ukrainian fascist “has died , he wanted to punish me, but I’m not going to compromise, because why. I live 25 years in a Russian prison? I do not want to, I’m innocent. “

– Since it is carried out some investigations in prison?

– no investigation is not. For 8 months of examination of her clothes do, in which it allegedly put things mortars on Russian journalists. She repeated several times: “I am not guilty of the murder of Russian journalist, I never shoot at unarmed people.”

What has struck me? We are talking to her, “can make a difference Why did you risk their lives.?” She replies: “I know the story of Nelson Mandela, I know the story of Mihaila Hodorkovskogo I have great respect for them they were waiting for many years and proved his innocence… I do not wanna wait I want to be liberated, to change the measure of restraint for me. “.

We asked her: “And what you see, for example, on parole or house arrest?”. Hope laughed: “Yes, let me be accommodated in the Ukrainian embassy, ​​I’ll be there under house arrest, please Maybe it really such a compromise.”.

I believe that we need to save it, it is necessary to collect signatures. And we with Lyudmila Ulitskaya ready to compose a letter and start collecting signatures . She February 10 the court to determine the measure of restraint.

– Do you think the Russians will be signed for the liberation of Hope Savchenko, given the Russian propaganda?

– Russia is a big country. We are told that 83% supported Putin . But this figure is fake web. We know that there are thousands of people who do not support Putin, and, most importantly, do not believe the propaganda. And we count on these people.

For example, the website change.org translator Lyubov Summ itself has launched a petition for the release of Hope Savchenko and collected one and a half thousand votes, although it is an unknown petition.

People are very supportive Hope Savchenko. She gets a lot of letters in jail and from Russian , and grateful. She told us: “I am very sorry that the Russian people are suffering, when they go out of my area, and they then put, but the Russians have to get up from its knees.”.

– Under what conditions it contain “Sailor’s silence”?

– Hope is in the hospital, “Sailor’s silence”. This is a very interesting story.

In this prison hospital, “Sailor’s Silence” is now made repairs, but it is not related to Savchenko, by coincidence. But for her allocated a whole floor – 4 svezheotremontirovannye camera.

It has a camera, in my opinion, for three or four people, but there is one. The camera has a shower, what hope is very happy. The video camera is carried out, and in the next cell specific employee clock is for the hope of watching on monitors.

Another camera – a special treatment room for Savchenko, where she put a dropper, and where it is weighed. And the fourth camera in the empty compartment.

Nadezhda Savchenko is in complete isolation from all the hospital inmates , “Sailor’s silence”. And even a walk she walks in the exercise yard, like everyone else, but she was walking there alone with a guard dog .

– As with the dog?

– Dog guards her, as it were. It is not clear from whom. This is totally insane precautions.

– Do you think this was done deliberately to put pressure on the psyche?

– I dont know. But she laughed when we talked about it with her.

I was very optimistic, “Behold, you are allowed to go to the embassy … ‘. She says: “Yes, my mother would come, cook soup …”. And then: “Well, what are you laughing at me even walk with the dog drive!” She refers to it with humor.

I was struck by this special unit, where she was alone, absolutely alone. In this sense, there is one issue that scared me. After all, who knows what it will be there if her life would be at risk.

The doctor told us, “If we see any changes, for example, in her mind (her psychiatrist to come), or it can not get out of bed, then her body threatened a hunger strike, then we will force-feed her .”

How will they feed her? If it was in a normal prison hospital, where there are other cameras, other people hear the cries, the noise starts, and so on. And here it is possible to do anything . This is a very scary situation.

On the one hand, her doctors monitor, do the procedure. But in order that nothing about it was not known, there is complete isolation. So it was in his time with Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot in Mordovia, where she lay in a prison hospital in a separate block, and nobody knew what was happening to her.

– What she do the procedure?

– Drip glucose. Intravenously. But she agrees to it.

– She drinks water?

– Yes, she is drinking tea and all.

– Have you seen her before in early January in the hospital?

– No, she was in the women’s jail number 6. It was on January 8th. She began to starve December 17. At the hospital she was transferred in late January.

– you have to let it loose? How do you do it?

– Yes, I go to her because I am a member of the Public Oversight Commission. This commission, which operates according to the law on public control over remand centers, prisons and colonies. And we have the right to attend the Moscow detention center, because our committee is in Moscow.

– What conditions were in Hope Savchenko in prison?

– She had the same condition she was in solitary confinement, too, freshly painted, but there was not a soul .. And in jail-6 had a bad mattress, in hospital, “Sailor’s silence” – a good mattress.

– Your idea of ​​Hope Savchenko coincided with what you saw?

– I read a lot about her case, spoke to the lawyers. I saw it three times already, and each time I have it more and more striking.

It impresses with its stability, intelligence, vision and zest for life , and, of course, the power of the spirit.

Once we talked to her, and was well-known human rights activist Alla Pokras with me, which is very much involved in prison life and traveled around the world and has been in Ukrainian prisons. He was talking about the Ukrainian prison.

Allah says: “You know, in your prisons, in principle, are no better than the Russian.” Savchenko And it answers: “Yes, I guess Well, no, we will change it.”. We say to her: “How are you going to change, if you can here now to die of hunger?” And she had said a terrific phrase: “Well, the loss of one soldier – it’s not a lost war will be others.”. You see, it is somehow surprising it all goes.

At the same time, she is very beautiful, young, strong woman .

– As the guards react to you when you go to it?

– They have become accustomed to the great attention, because it all the time go to human rights activists, visited the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Ella Pamfilova.

They try especially not comment on the situation, but no hatred, they do not experience it.

Doctors, it seems to me, the main task – to make it as soon as possible is no longer hungry. They have a very requested that we persuaded her to stop the hunger strike, “You can not persuade her that she had agreed, so we gave her some other proteins through the mouth.” She refused.

– It has changed a lot, huh?

– It is very very thin, but she goes . When she got up us, he followed us when we left the chamber. We talked, she was sitting. We asked her: “Are you dizzy there?”. “No, no dizziness.” The only thing – there was a chill, but it was a T-shirt with short sleeves.

For example, I attended Sergeya Krivova, a Russian opposition activist, who was also in the “Sailor’s silence”, and he fasted 40 days to him in the last days before he left on a hunger strike, was very cold, he sat in a padded jacket, when we him They come. And she – not.

– In addition to the Hope Savchenko you have visited and other Ukrainians in the Russian prisons?

– Quite by accident, when we visited the Lefortovo prison, we met a 73-year-old Yuri Danilovich Soloshenko.

It turned out that he is a former director of military factory “Znamya” in Poltava . He’s nothing special did not talk about his work, but only said: “I am not guilty before Russia or for Ukraine, I am accused of being a spy, but I no not a spy.” He was already sitting in the summer.

He wrote many letters: and the Prosecutor General Chaika, Russia, and Putin even wrote a petition for clemency, although he is not yet convicted.

He has a bad heart. When I began to find out background of history, I learned that he had not worked for several years at the plant, but he had good relations with the Russian people in the Ministry of Defense, because the plant “Banner” was once a lot of products supplied to Russia.

Soloshenko asked his Russian friend, in my opinion, Colleague name to the one in Russia found some product, like the one that used to be manufactured and supplied the plant, and handed to him. He promised him that he would find. And when Soloshenko went to Moscow, and then he was arrested right at the train station . He has nothing brought from Russia to Ukraine, has not brought from Ukraine to Russia.

As it turned out later, Soloshenko conversation with this man, Gennady Kollegova FSB-Schnick opened, read, and charged either with smuggling or attempted smuggling, and now – of spying. Soloshenko but he says: “I’m not a spy.”

He was assigned a lawyer – somebody Sergey Kisel. He got in touch with relatives in Ukraine Soloshenko. Perhaps he has some evidence already given, because he was allowed to see her son, and this is always done when a person begins to somehow communicate with the investigation. But again – it is not recognized as a spy. He is very worried that detached from the family. He extended the detention until May 2015.

Soloshenko worried that it does not come to the Ukrainian consul. I called the consul Borisenko. He said that sends a request to the Russian FSB, that he be allowed to go to to the Lefortovo Soloshenko, but he was not allowed.

But I have a question to the Consul: why did not he held a press conference , did not shout to the whole world that it limits the legal right to visit Soloshenko? There was nothing he did not. After the consul visited Hope Savchenko, he visited Aleksey Cirno, which runs along the Crimean case and pleaded guilty and cooperated with the investigation. Why then here he was not allowed?

In general, I had the feeling that Yuri Soloshenko cast Ukrainian state . Russian human rights defenders happen to know that he is being held in the Lefortovo prison.

There is a second person – Valentin Vygovskyy. He 32 years. He said that was a small entrepreneur or manager. He was arrested in Simferopol in September last year. His father, Paul Vygovskyy, lives in Kiev and began to look for her son. He made inquiries and found out that in Simferopol arrested several people on the day when his son the train went, that they were taken, apparently, the FSB, and there his son had some pressure and forced him to confess to almost a espionage.

Father looking for his son a long time, but could not find. A month after the arrest of lawyer called, also designated by the State. The lawyer told him that his son initially charged under article 183 of the Criminal Code – the collection of information constituting commercial, tax or banking secret, by abduction of documents, bribery or threats, as well as any other illegal means. And then they began to talk about the 276 article. Article 275 of the Criminal Code – it’s treason, and Article 276 – espionage.

– So it was transferred from the Crimea in Lefortovo?

– Yes.

– And the Ukrainian consul, too, did not come to him?

– No, they did not know about it at all. Neither the consul did not know about it, nor Ukrainian representative of the Human Rights Lutkovska …

About Vygovskaya learned Ukrainian Helsinki Group and reported to the Moscow Helsinki Group.

Those transfers all data Ukrainian consul, but he could not get in jail.

I came to Valeriyu Vygovskomu and said: “Hello, what is your article?”. He answers: “I do not want to talk about it I’m all right.”. I explained to him that his parents worry about him, that they had no information. He said that parents had with him gone anyway. He showed a stack of letters from parents. And he did not say anything.

The second time, when we met with him, he was more talkative. He said that he confessed to everything , but did not explain what exactly. I asked him if he does not want parents to have concluded the contract with another lawyer, because now it is protected by the lawyer to the destination. And he said: “Why need a lawyer here in Russia, it is useless I do not need no lawyer?..”

– Apparently, he was convinced that the confession will ease the guilt?

– Yes, I think that is likely, and it happened.

In the Russian legislation there is a form of cooperation with the investigation of the accused – a “special order”. This is when a person pleads guilty, and he is given less time. In my opinion, two-thirds of mowing.

For example, Gennady Afanasiev, who was walking on the Crimean case, not only admitted his guilt, but also made a deal with the justice system, that is passed (slandered) Oleg Sentsova and Aleksandra Kolchenko . And instead of the 20 years he was given 7 years in prison.

Apparently, Valentin Vygovskyy investigators listened to the recommendations. Imagine you take, and the investigators say, “We have evidence of your espionage activities If you do not acknowledge your guilt, you get 25 years or 20 years, and if you recognize, you get 7 or 5.”. So what? Lawyer – on purpose, relatives in Kiev. Man thinks that he is doomed.

I was surprised by family position . They are afraid to come here. Now, however, my wife on a date to Vyhovsky going. Father worried about it, but is afraid to come. It is necessary to go to Moscow, to make noise , to enter into a contract with a normal lawyer.

Yuri Danilovich Soloshenko sons could also take other lawyers. But they have no money, they were afraid. It turns out that these people will sit times the Ukrainian government is not fighting for them.

Valentin Vygovskyy not look like a spy, who was spying against Russia. It’s impossible.

Yuri Soloshenko if they wanted to buy some products in Russia for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, it was a purely commercial transaction, but in no way are not spying. He did not look like a man who was spying.

In general, he lived all his life in the Soviet Union and continues to live in the Soviet Union. He is ideologically can not be a spy, and it broke, insulted. For him, it is insulting, he repeated several times: “I’m not a spy.”

– You do not have the feeling that the Russian special services once actively produce these things?

– Oh sure. We do not yet know all the cases because the Russian human rights activists, of course, can go all the cameras of the Lefortovo prison, but have no right to talk about the criminal case, and not all those arrested want to say what their article. The Lefortovo prison – more than a hundred prisoners.

– This is a special prison where persons who are on the FSB?

– Yes, this prison until 2006 belonged to the FSB. Then she was transferred to the Ministry of Justice. But de facto it is still a prison by the FSB. Because in the administrative building of the Detention Unit has one door, where it says “Investigation department of the FSB.” There are working investigators who conduct most of the cases of prisoners Lefortovo prison. It is understood that – neighbors insulator employees go to lunch in the Investigation Department of the FSB.

– And how many are now in Lefortovo Ukrainians can be installed?

– We do not know how much there is Ukrainians . We go in camera and ask the inmates, if they have any complaints about the conditions of detention, and did not violate any of their rights in prison.

We can not ask the chief of the detention center that he has provided us with information about all the Ukrainians, who are in the Lefortovo prison. This should be handled by the Ukrainian government, Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Human Rights Ombudsman of Ukraine.

It is about the Crimean actually quite a lot of talk in the Ukraine and in Russia? No, not much. Is about Oleg Sentsova which does not weaker Hope Savchenko in terms of strength of mind, talk a lot? He was tortured, he considers himself a Ukrainian, and Russian security services say he is a Russian citizen and, therefore, do not let him Ukrainian consul.

He is very firmly held . Already two of the defendants pleaded guilty, and he – no.

Oleg Sentsov – the world famous film director. His very long kept in very poor camera, no light. He deteriorated vision . He is not going to declare a hunger strike, he does not accept these methods. How will he fight?

– The conditions under which he is now being held?

– Now he is being held in normal conditions. He was transferred to a normal camera, not dark. Investigative actions have all been completed, he will soon get acquainted with the case, and then the case will be referred to a military court. Because cases of terrorism are now being considered by a military court, from January 2015. It will be either in Moscow or Rostov-on-Don.

– And what did he say? In general, as his mood, morale?

– He says he is not guilty. He is very tired. Tired of sitting without guilt. Just as Savchenko sitting without guilt and Sentsov. He is not guilty of terrorism, it is absurd accusations. His children were. One child had autistic.

Of course, he knows that President Poroshenko him to order some give, but it had no impact on his release from prison.

– But his Ukrainian citizenship?

– Yes.

– And why investigators believe it Russian?

– Because when the Crimea joined Russia, and it was up to some numbers to confirm that you remain a Ukrainian, he did not.

– Because he was arrested?

– Or was arrested, or did not, or did not consider it necessary or did not understand. But they are automatically excluded from his Ukrainian citizenship. His lawyers sued there, but no good there. The same is true of Alexander Kol’chenko.

– He also sits in Lefortovo?

– Yes. The only one who refused Russian citizenship – is Aleksey Chirny, who also held in the case.

Generally in this case it takes place 4 people. Gennady Afanasiev , who confessed and received 7 years, refused to Ukrainian citizenship. Aleksey Chirny also pleaded guilty and incriminated Sentsova, but he considers himself a Ukrainian. He wants to change the lawyer, and knows this consul, but the new lawyer will not let him.

Maybe if he will replace a lawyer, then change their statements, refuse confessions. But his poor relatives, and they live in the Crimea. He should help the consul to agree with the lawyer.

Alexander Kol’chenko – a young boy who has not pleaded guilty and considers himself a Ukrainian, but the court rejected his confirmation Ukrainian citizenship, and Russian investigators believe his Russian citizen consul to it is not allowed. He’s a good lawyer, and the protection is provided.

And Oleg Sentsov – considers himself a Ukrainian, and Russian for the investigation, he – a citizen of the Russian Federation. His outraged two things – that it is sitting without guilt and tortured, and that he was Ukrainian, and he is considered Russian.

– The absurdity of our lives, some people spend huge money, bribe, for years sought Russian citizenship, and here you are given Russian citizenship, even if you rest on your hands and feet. It’s some sort of absurd …

– Yes, but Oleg Sentsov – a true patriot of Ukraine . It is planted it is for this, because he fought in the Crimea, Ukraine for a united and helped servicemen. We follow him.

It is seen by the FSB regarded him as the leader of the Ukrainian resistance in the Crimea. Because it most suitable for age among all those arrested in this group …

Gennady Afanasiev – very young, 23 years old, I’ve seen pictures of him, he had been terribly pro-Ukrainian: wearing Cossack hair, poems read some very nationalist, he is now completely surrendered, for it was 7 years old, and will be in court to oppose Sentsova …

– Against his fellow …

– They are not comrades. Maybe they were even a little familiar. Then Cirno – history teacher. But he is actually engaged in historical reconstructions. He even showed us photos where he jousting helmet. He praised these photos.

He twice was in the Serbian Institute. Apparently he wanted to be recognized as insane. But it did not recognize the insane, because all his evidence will not be valid, and the investigation is really not necessary if found insane.

– It seems that the case against the Ukrainians will only multiply if the war continues.

– I think yes. Because these things for investigators from the FSB is very well run, and no noise neither in Ukraine nor in Russia. These people tend to give a confession. Units do not give up just like Sentsov, Kol’chenko and Savchenko. So why not produce these things?

– get for them bonuses, awards, medals.

– Of course. And speaking of the fact that Ukraine sends against us spies, terrorists and murderers.

– What advice would you give the Ukrainians or the relatives of those who may suddenly appear in Russia in such a difficult situation? What should they do?

– As soon as your relative would be arrested, and he will be in Russia, whether in Lefortovo, or in whatever prison in Moscow and Voronezh, Penza or – anywhere, can not be silent about it . It is necessary as much as possible to talk about it, you need to give interviews to the press – both Russian and Ukrainian. It is necessary to make a fuss . Then assemble the whole world money for a good lawyer, because in Russia there are good lawyers who are not afraid to deal with such complex matters.

We need to protect their loved ones, because in Russia endure less than 1% of acquittals, and 95% of the cases treated in a special manner, that is, with an admission of guilt. Imagine, it’s almost the Stalin era.

– Users of despair agree.

– Of course. Because people do not believe in lawyers, either in a Russian court. We are still an admission of guilt – is the queen of evidence. That’s all.

And the Ukrainian government should be more active to protect their citizens . In Russia, there are hundreds of thousands of citizens of Ukraine, and each may at any moment fall under the control of Russian security services. This work is necessary to allocate Ukrainian state has a separate line. No other way.

Sourse, 09/02/2015