Alyona Krylova is a political prisoner
The civil society activist has been sentenced to two years in a penal colony in the case of the Left Resistance movement that was designated an ‘extremist group
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Alyona Krylova a political prisoner. Krylova was convicted on a charge of participating in an extremist organisation for organising public events. Krylova’s prosecution and conviction have violated her rights to freedom of speech, assembly, and fair trial. We demand that Alyona Krylova be released immediately, her conviction quashed and all criminal charges against her dropped.
Who is Alyona Krylova and what were the charges against her?
Left Resistance is a movement founded in 2017 by activist Darya Polyudova. Polyudova and her supporters ran social media pages and organised pickets against political repression in Moscow and other cities.
Alyona Krylova is a philologist from Moscow Oblast and a former press secretary of the For Human Rights movement. She has stated that she was not a member of Left Resistance, but took part in the movement’s pickets and, at Polyudova’s request, submitted applications to the authorities for permission to hold them.
In 2020 Polyudova was remanded in custody and in May 2021 was sentenced to six years in a penal colony on charges of justifying extremism and terrorism. Our project recognised Polyudova as a political prisoner.
At the end of 2021, law enforcement agencies launched a case against alleged members of Left Resistance, charging them with belonging to an extremist group. Both Polyudova and Krylova were defendants in this case. In December 2022, Polyudova was sentenced to an additional three years in a penal colony, taking into account her initial sentence (making a total of nine years). Several other individuals currently being prosecuted in the Left Resistance case remain at liberty.
After the criminal case was initiated, Krylova was placed under travel restrictions but managed to leave Russia. On 4 June 2023, she was detained in Kyrgyzstan and extradited to Russia.
On 19 December 2023, Krylova was sentenced to two years in a general-regime penal colony for participation in an extremist organisation (Article 282.1, Part 2, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
Why do we consider Krylova a political prisoner?
We have analysed the Left Resistance case and concluded that the state’s designation of the movement as an extremist group is unlawful, unfounded, and unjustified. We are convinced that the activists are being prosecuted for legitimate political and civic activities. The creation of civil society organisations, participation in protests, and expression of opinions on pressing social issues are fundamental human rights in a democratic society.
In Russia, a bad law enforcement practice has taken root whereby individuals are prosecuted solely on the grounds that they have been labelled as members of an extremist group, even though their actions are entirely within the law. The prosecution of Alyona Krylova is a clear example of this. Krylova does not consider herself a member of Left Resistance; in any case, her actions do not constitute a criminal offence.
A more detailed description of the Left Resistance case and of our position is available on our website.
Recognition of an individual as a political prisoner does not imply the ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project agrees with, or approves, their views, statements, or actions.
How can you help?
You can donate to help all political prisoners in Russia.
