‘If we talk, these people might survive’: Exhibition on Kremlin political prisoners opens in Amsterdam

Amsterdam — Exhibition A prison for Russian political prisoners opened in the heart of the Dutch capital on Tuesday.

“Faces of the Russian Resistance” presents 16 stories of politicians, activists, artists and public figures who have been designated political prisoners by human rights organizations.

“We understand that hundreds of people are currently incarcerated on political charges. Our aim is to [President Vladimir] “We condemn Putin’s repression and crimes against our people,” Elena Filina, one of the project’s organizers, told The Moscow Times at the opening ceremony.

Since invading Ukraine more than two years ago, the Kremlin has stepped up its crackdown on opposition and separatist voices. 729 people According to Nobel Peace Prize-winning human rights group Memorial, many people have been imprisoned in Russia for their political beliefs and actions, many of them for opposing the war.

“The exhibition is an opportunity for Russians to tell the world what is going on in the country,” said Filina, the Moscow city council member. ran away She was prosecuted in Russia for her anti-war views.

One photo shows Natalia Filonova, a 62-year-old pensioner and long-time activist. Imprisoned for allegedly attacking police during protests in the fall of 2022 against Russia’s mobilization for the war in Ukraine.

Another story presented in the exhibition is that of Alexandra Skochlenko, an artist from St. Petersburg. Sentenced He was sentenced to seven years in prison for replacing price tags at a local supermarket with pieces of paper bearing anti-war slogans.

There is also a photo of opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza on display. Serving He was sentenced to 25 years in prison on treason and other charges for criticizing the invasion of Ukraine.

Kara Murza’s wife, Evgenia, who attended the opening ceremony, stressed the need to keep the issue of political prisoners in the public eye, including in Western countries.

“We need to keep discussing this constantly, otherwise the public’s attention will shift to other things, especially for those who live in such countries. [repression] “This cannot happen,” Evgenia Kara-Murza told The Moscow Times, referring to Western politicians.

“These stories are shocking but people need to know,” she added.

The exhibition, organised by volunteers and already on display in more than 20 European cities, may not display all political prisoners, but organisers said it would demonstrate “the scale of repression” and serve to “ensure that the issue of the release of Russia’s political prisoners is included in all communications with Russian authorities”.

“We cannot assume that people are fully informed about the situation inside Russia,” said Kris Petrasova, spokeswoman for Free Russia NL, a pro-democracy group made up of Russian-speaking residents and citizens of the Netherlands.

“It’s important for Europeans, who live their own lives and may not be familiar with oppression, to see the faces of the oppressed and read their stories,” she continued.

The exhibition also highlights the conditions political prisoners endure within Russia’s prison system.

Many political prisoners are denied the right to contact their families, and letters and packages sent by their families are often delayed.

The death of Alexei Navalny in an Arctic prison in February, which his team blames on Putin, has raised concerns about the safety of other Kremlin critics jailed in Russia, particularly Kara Murza, who was poisoned twice in 2015 and 2017 but survived.

Kara Murza was recently transferred to a Siberian prison where he was repeatedly placed in isolation in a punishment cell, where his health is reported to have deteriorated rapidly.

Evgenia Kara-Murza said her fight for her husband’s release has seen her “running around” Western capitals, urging politicians to increase pressure on Moscow to release political prisoners.

“If we talk about it, we might get more support. [from the public]” Kara Murza told The Moscow Times.

“And maybe these people will survive.”