Ruslan Gornostaev is a political prisoner
An entrepreneur from Oryol region has been sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for making donations to the Free Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Ruslan Gornostaev a political prisoner. Gornostaev was convicted on charges of financing terrorism and of treason for making monetary transfers to the Free Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps. Gornostaev’s criminal prosecution and conviction violated his right to a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Ruslan Gornostaev and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.
What were the charges against Ruslan Gornostaev?
Ruslan Gornostaev lived in Livny, Oryol Oblast, and worked in freight transportation. On 2 May 2024, he was detained and remanded in custody. Gornostaev was charged with treason (Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and financing terrorism (Article 205.1, Part 1.1, CC RF). He was accused of transferring funds amounting to approximately 46,000 roubles to the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Free Russia Legion in the years 2023-24.
Gornostaev pleaded guilty at his trial, stating he was opposed to the Special Military Operation and wanted to support the military units fighting on Ukraine’s side.
On 14 October 2024, Ruslan Gornostaev was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, with the first three years to be served in a cell-type prison and the remainder in a strict regime penal colony.
Why do we consider Ruslan Gornostaev a political prisoner?
Gornostaev stated that he did indeed transfer money to the Ukrainian armed forces. However, his actions did not constitute a crime. In international law, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is illegal and criminal. In this context, donations to the Ukrainian armed forces cannot be considered a crime. Aid to Ukraine is aimed at repelling military aggression, not at harming Russia’s security, as a charge of treason would suggest. Russia’s security is threatened by the very war its authorities unleashed.
The Russian decisions to designate the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Free Russia Legion as terrorist organisations are illegal. These two military formations are regular units of the Ukrainian armed forces engaged in repelling Russian aggression. Consequently, donations to these units cannot be considered financing of terrorist activities.
After the start of Russia’s full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine, the FSB began actively initiating prosecutions for treason on grounds of ‘providing financial assistance to a foreign state in activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation.’ Support in any form for units of the Ukrainian armed forces designated as terrorist organisations is also subject to prosecution. Such prosecutions serve to intimidate those Russians who sympathise with Ukraine.
A detailed description of Ruslan Gornostaev’s case and of our position is available on our website.
How can you help?
You can write to Ruslan Gornostaev at the following address:
RU:
399783, Липецкая область, г. Елец, ул. Пролетарская, д. 1Б, ФКУ Т-2 УФСИН России по Липецкой области, Горностаев Руслан Александрович, 1976 г. р.
EN:
Ruslan Aleksandrovich Gornostaev (born 1976), Prison No. 2, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Lipetsk Oblast, 1 B Proletarskaya Street, Yelets, Lipetsk Oblast, 399783, Russia.
You can also send emails via ZT (for payment with all bank cards) and Memorial-France (free of charge).
Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the intended recipient.
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