Volodya Akimenkov, himself a former political prisoner who was held in the Vodnik pretrial detention center (SIZO) in connection with the Bolotnaya case, is doing something very good and noble. He is raising money for lesser-known political prisoners. Sadly, there are far too many of them. There are now so many political prisoners that the issue is no longer considered “high-profile.” In the past, every political prisoner’s name was widely known; now, many of those names will mean nothing to you.
But people are still behind bars, and they need help. Many are deliberately sent to remote penal colonies so that it costs their relatives more to travel for visits and bring care packages. That is why Akimenkov helps raise money for those for whom it is hardest to raise any. Good for him.
He asked me to publish this letter, and that is what I am doing. I’ll send a little money myself as well, and I urge you to do the same.