Vera Vasil’eva

VERA VASIL’EVA: Good evening. I don’t have a speech on me, just a small remark.

I wouldn’t agree with the view of the esteemed Mrs. Mikhalyova. If I correctly understood you, you said it was maybe not worth considering people convicted for crimes related to violence as political prisoners. The main question would then become this: did the person really commit a crime or not? Any criminal case may be fabricated, and a person may be accused of any crime simply by falsifying the evidence.

In my opinion, there are two important criteria which were spoken here more than once: the political motive of the authorities (nonetheless, it is not essential for the person himself to be a politician) and the essence of the case. Of course, both require analysis. And both are difficult to expose. But such cases require special attention. These people are often found guilty under very serious articles of the Criminal Code, and their cases deserve to be prioritised. They may be entirely innocent, and if the case if fabricated, it is necessary to seek their release.

An entirely different group of cases: people convicted unlawfully, with violations of their right to defence, regardless of whether they have committed crimes and offences. Such cases, in my opinion, require a revision.

I feel the first thing we should do, undoubtedly, is to seek the release of the unjustly convicted. They are often found to be in very harsh detention conditions. And our actions are limited by the fact that they are simply forced to fight for their survival in a literal sense. As it comes to long-term judicial reform, we must also be working on it. And already as part of this reform we must revisit all earlier cases with violations of the law.

Next ›

Back to Overview of Part II ›