Jailed Russian dissidents call for mass prisoner release as part of a peace deal with Ukraine
FILE PHOTO: Moscow city councillor Alexei Gorinov, accused of \"disseminating clearly false information about Russia's army\", holds a placard reading \"Do you still need this war?\" as he stands inside a defendants' cage during a court hearing in Moscow, Russia July 8, 2022. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
LONDON - Eleven jailed Russian dissidents have written to world leaders appealing for a mass release of Russian political prisoners and Ukrainian civilians held by Russia - some 10,000 people in total, they say - as part of any peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv.
In the letter, published via Reuters, the dissidents said that alongside prisoners of war, thousands of Ukrainian civilian "hostages" were being held by Russia, mostly in Russian-held areas of Ukraine.
Talks in May and June on ending Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine made no progress towards a ceasefire, despite a pledge by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the war, but the two sides have exchanged captured soldiers and war dead.
"We call on both sides of the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to immediately conduct an exchange of prisoners of war and civilians according to the formula 'all for all', including Ukrainian civilian hostages," the letter said.
Among the signatories was Alexei Gorinov, 63, who in 2022 became the first person to go to prison under laws passed shortly after the Ukraine invasion that made it a crime to spread "false information" about the armed forces.
The youngest to sign was Darya Kozyreva, 19, who was sentenced in April to two years and eight months in prison for using graffiti and 19th-century poetry to protest against the war in Ukraine.
They placed themselves alongside thousands of Ukrainians who, according to human rights groups, have been detained by Russia, mostly in Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July
Singapore PAP questions Pritam's interview with Malaysian podcast, says politics should stop at water's edge
World Liverpool's Portuguese forward Diogo Jota dies in car crash in Spain
Sport Liverpool star Diogo Jota dead at 28: What you need to know about the footballer
Business 60 S'pore firms to get AI boost from Tata Consultancy as it launches a new innovation centre here
Singapore Scoot launches flights to Da Nang, Kota Bharu and Nha Trang; boosts frequency to other destinations
Singapore Electrician who bit off part of coworker's ear during fight gets 6 months' jail
Asia 4 dead, 30 missing after ferry sinks on way to Indonesia's Bali
"There are at least 10,000 of us - Russian political prisoners and Ukrainian civilian hostages. We are all punished for one thing - for taking a civic stance," they wrote. Moscow has not commented on the alleged figure.
The dissidents called for "the immediate and unconditional release of sick political prisoners who are dying in Russian prisons" in their statement, which was backed by a message from Russian Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov.
Muratov's message and the letter urged leaders in Russia, Ukraine, the European Union, the United States and elsewhere to act.
RUSSIA'S PEACE TERMS
At the peace talks in Istanbul last month, Russia handed Ukraine a memorandum proposing "a mutual amnesty of 'political prisoners' and release of detained civilians" as a possible condition for a ceasefire in the three-and-a-half-year conflict.
Asked about the status of the proposal and how many people it would cover, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday: "We don't publicly discuss the... content of the memorandum, which we haven't even discussed with the Ukrainian side yet. We believe that discussion through the media can only harm the process."
The proposal was part of a wider package of Russian demands that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described as an ultimatum. They include a halt to all Ukrainian troop movements except for withdrawals, and end to call-ups, foreign weapons supplies and martial law as well as the holding of new presidential and parliamentary elections.
No date has yet been set for further talks.
Describing their experience, the dissidents wrote: "The concepts of justice and fairness are absent in Russia today; anyone who dares to think critically can end up behind bars."
Defendants in political cases had no chance of a fair hearing and were never acquitted, they said. Once in prison, their lives were in danger and they were at risk of denunciations from other inmates - something that led, in Gorinov's case, to an additional three-year sentence.
The other signatories were sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky, self-described anarchist Azat Miftakhov, poet Artem Kamardin and activists Anna Arkhipova, Vladimir Domnin, Dmitry Pchelintsev, Andrei Trofimov, Ilya Shakursky and Alexander Shestun.
The Kremlin says cases are a matter for the courts and the prison service and Russia needs to apply its laws firmly to deter what it sees as subversive, Western-backed activity.
Elena Filina, an exiled opposition politician who helped gather the signatures from inmates scattered across Russia's vast penal system, told Reuters the prisoners felt the peace talks may provide their last chance to be free.
"If peace agreements are signed without taking into account their amnesty, exchange or any other way of release, the window of opportunity will slam shut for a long time." REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
4 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Former UK PM Boris Johnson rejects China's bullying of Taiwan, calls for deeper ties with West
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Taiwan did not deserve to be bullied by China. TAIPEI - Former British prime minister Boris Johnson said on Aug 5 that Taiwan did not deserve to be bullied by China and urged the West to build economic and political relations with Taipei in the face of Beijing's campaign against the democratic island. Mr Johnson is the third former British prime minister to visit Taiwan, after Ms Liz Truss in 2023 and Mrs Margaret Thatcher in the 1990s, and his trip comes at a time when Britain and China are seeking to further stabilise ties as Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to visit Beijing later in 2025 Britain, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but the two governments have close economic and culture exchanges. Beijing has in recent years ramped up military and diplomatic pressure campaigns against Taiwan, including daily military activities near the island, to assert territorial claims the government in Taipei strongly rejects. "In very difficult and intense times, this is the moment for all western countries to build economic and political relations with Taiwan, not to tiptoe away from Taiwan at the pressure from any other country," Mr Johnson told Taiwan President Lai Ching-te in the presidential office in Taipei. "There's absolutely no case for the current Chinese bullying of Taiwan. This is a free, peaceful society. It does not deserve to be intimidated in this way. There's no point in it and I hope it stops as soon as possible," Mr Johnson said in video footage by Mr Lai's office. China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 'She had a whole life ahead of her': Boyfriend mourns Yishun fatal crash victim World Israel says it will allow controlled entry of goods into Gaza via merchants Singapore Singapore-made bot matchmakes strangers virtually – without profile photos Life Urinary issues: Enlarged prostate affects half of men in their 50s and up Business Lendlease Reit to sell office component of Jem to Keppel for $462 million Singapore Conditional warning for ex-manager at Mendaki accused of trying to obtain laptop as bribe Beijing has previously condemned visits by British lawmakers to Taiwan for what it calls interference in China's internal affairs. Mr Johnson was invited to deliver a speech at a security forum by Taipei-based think tank, the Prospect Foundation, which was also attended by Mr Lai earlier on Aug 5. At the forum, Mr Lai vowed to build a "democratic supply chain" with allies by deepening economic cooperation and said he would boost Taiwan's defence spending to more than 3 per cent of its GDP in 2026. "I'm confident that if democracies can join hands in creating more robust, more resilient global democratic supply chains, we can spur even more economic prosperity and further consolidate our democracy," Mr Lai said. A British Royal Navy patrol vessel sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait in June. REUTERS
Straits Times
36 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Beauty industry consumers hit by 464% rise in prepayment losses in first half of 2025
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Consumer complaints fell in the first half of 2025 without 'high-profile incidents' that marred 2024, such as the botched Sky Lantern Festival. SINGAPORE – Consumers lost more than $108,000 after they paid in advance for beauty products and services that were never delivered in the first half of 2025 , a near 500 per cent increase from a year earlier. The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) said on Aug 5 that the losses involving the beauty industry rose 464 per cent from $19,000 in the first six months of 2024, even though the number of complaints inched down from 600 to 558 . The organisation said the use of 'aggressive or misleading sales tactics' made up about 28 per cent of these complaints. 'Many of these cases involved consumers being pressured into signing high-value packages under unclear or exaggerated promises,' Case added. It highlighted one case that had a contract value of more than $370,000 . The complainant alleged that he was subjected to aggressive, high-pressure sales tactics, and that the company he dealt with 'made false promises that were not fulfilled, offered misleading discounts and ultimately overcharged'. Case president Melvin Yong said the beauty industry 'remains a concern' due to the sharp increase in prepayment losses. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 'She had a whole life ahead of her': Boyfriend mourns Yishun fatal crash victim World Israel says it will allow controlled entry of goods into Gaza via merchants Singapore Singapore-made bot matchmakes strangers virtually – without profile photos Life Urinary issues: Enlarged prostate affects half of men in their 50s and up Business Lendlease Reit to sell office component of Jem to Keppel for $462 million Singapore Conditional warning for ex-manager at Mendaki accused of trying to obtain laptop as bribe Overall, Case reported that there had been a 19 per cent drop in consumer complaints – from 7,721 to 6,253 . The high number of cases in the first half of 2024 was accounted for by 'a few high-profile incidents', such as the botched Sky Lantern Festival, that was the subject of at least 400 of the total complaints, Case said. Motorcar industry gets the most complaints The motorcar industry had the most complaints, even though the number dropped from 681 in the first half of 2024 to 573 . About 28 per cent of these complaints concerned vehicles that were defective or did not conform to contract terms. Complaints involving car-sharing services fell from 109 to 97 , but consumers continued to raise concerns about poor vehicle maintenance, billing problems, high insurance excess and service reliability. Meanwhile, complaints involving electric vehicles (EVs) rose 42 per cent – from 33 in 2024 to 47 in 2025. These involved defective components, as well as charging issues. 'As more EVs take to Singapore's roads, Case expects to see EV-related complaints increase in tandem. Consumers seeking to buy an EV should be mindful of issues related to charging and battery lifespan,' said Mr Yong. Defective products, disrupted travel plans Case reported 571 complaints against the electrical and electronics industry, down 4 per cent from a year earlier. Nearly half were related to products that were either defective or did not conform to contract terms, including small electronic devices bought online and larger household appliances, such televisions and washing machines, bought at physical retail outlets. Complaints related to the telecommunications industry, meanwhile, rose from 319 to 353 , with customer dissatisfaction accounting for 24 per cent. Complaints concerning e-commerce fell 32 per cent from 2,611 in 2024 to 1,769 in 2025. But Case observed a 40 per cent increase in complaints against online travel agents, with 139 cases reported. The issues included misleading descriptions of hotel accommodations, website glitches that led to duplicate or inflated charges and confirmed bookings that were not honoured. 'With more transactions taking place online, we need to strengthen consumer protection in the e-commerce space, such as mandating merchant verification, establishing escrow accounts for e-commerce transactions, and having a clear dispute resolution framework for consumers to seek recourse,' said Mr Yong. Another area of concern is the rising transaction value of the disputes lodged with Case. The values of home renovation contracts, for instance, currently exceed $20,000. Case has called on the Government to review the current $20,000 jurisdiction limit of the Small Claims Tribunals to provide consumers with continued access to low-cost dispute resolution.
Straits Times
36 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Elderly man charged after he allegedly molested, performed sex act on ‘vulnerable' man, 25
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The elderly man's identity cannot be disclosed due to a gag order to protect the younger man's identity. SINGAPORE – A n elderly man is accused of molesting and performing a sex act on a 25-year-old man he allegedly knew to be a 'vulnerable person', at the void deck of a Housing Board block of flats in 2023. On Aug 5, the 76-year-old man was charged with one count each of molestation and performing a sex act on the alleged victim without his consent. The elderly man's identity cannot be disclosed due to a gag order to protect the younger man's identity. A State Court's online portal states that they were 'neighbourhood characters' at the time . According to court documents, the elderly man allegedly committed the offences at around 10am on Aug 9, 2023. He is expected to plead guilty on Sept 16. If convicted of performing a non-consensual sex act on another person, an offender can be jailed for up to 20 years, and fined or caned. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 'She had a whole life ahead of her': Boyfriend mourns Yishun fatal crash victim World Israel says it will allow controlled entry of goods into Gaza via merchants Singapore Singapore-made bot matchmakes strangers virtually – without profile photos Life Urinary issues: Enlarged prostate affects half of men in their 50s and up Business Lendlease Reit to sell office component of Jem to Keppel for $462 million Singapore Conditional warning for ex-manager at Mendaki accused of trying to obtain laptop as bribe An offender convicted of molestation be jailed for up to three years, fined, caned or receive any combination of such punishments. However, the sentences for both offences can be increased by up to twice if they involved vulnerable persons. The elderly man cannot be caned as he is over 50 years old.
