Translated material
How to help political prisoners?
On January 25, 2024, Doxa was recognized as an “unwanted organization”.
If you are in Russia or plan to return to it, you can not replace our materials on social networks, refer to them and publish quotes.
Read more about what is possible and impossible, read in the cards .
Why do you need this guide?
People are lonely in prison. They are divorced from the world, cannot communicate with loved ones in spirit, and censorship limits access to the news. We can come to the aid of the political prisoners: cheer up, share news from the will, give public arbitrariness and just talk.
This guide explains how to support political prisoners if you are in Russia or abroad : a letter, a book, a parcel or money. You will also learn how to assemble a Politze support group: Chki and spend an evening of letters.
For DOXA, the guide was composed by the activist of the " Solidarity Zone " Masha Maltseva. She relied on:
- FAQ Zhenya Shamina for Doxa,
- Instructions from Walls Will Fall (there is a version for printing in the bot ),
- Hyda helped with “open space”.
It is not necessary to read the entire guide at once. Contact him as necessary!
The content of the guide
- 3-12 how to write letters? If you are not in Russia, pay attention to cards 8 and 10.
- 12-13 how to send parcels?
- 14-17 How to send books and periodicals?
- 18 How to replenish the personal account of a conclusion: th?
- 19 What is a support group and how to collect it?
- 20-21 How to organize an evening of letters?
Who to write letters?
Human rights projects tell about political prisoners:
- Telegram-boot @svobot_bot randomly selects and prisket your name and address is political prisoner: th. There are sections: “Sit for politics”, “Sit for religion”, “Sit for peace” and “birthday”.
- Lists of "Memorial" contain detailed dossiers of prisoners. From there you can draw topics for writing.
- The human rights initiative “Zone of Solidarity” ( Instagram , Telegram ) tells about the persecuted for anti -war actions and directly helps them. In Telegram, you can find addresses by tag #picismuskom.
- The list of "Rosuznik" is limited, but has a convenient sort , including for specific criminal cases. There are examples of letters on the site. You can focus on them if you write for the first time.
The addressee can be selected by general views and hobbies. Or maybe you are Earth: Chki? Look for an interview with them, they are relative to them: tsami and friends.
What to write about?
Focus on your personal experience and history in a conclusion: th . At first, briefly tell about yourself, but keep in mind that the colony administration will read letters. Then ask the prisoner: you are about well -being, content conditions, interests, pass the latest news of the country and the world (having checked with the rules from card 6). If the holiday or birthday is coming soon: Chki, you can start correspondence with congratulations .
You can invest postcards, drawings, dried flowers in paper letters. You can attach a picture to emails.
From the answer you will understand that a person is interesting and what you can discuss. Feel free to write informally , tell us in paints, which carried you, upset or pleased. I recently shared my impressions from the book. He wanted to read it. I hope he will receive her soon.
Can I have an example?
Here is an excerpt from my first letter in correspondence with a political station:
“ ... we can get to know a little better. What music do you like to listen to? What books do you read? Do you need something now?
By the way, I somehow worked as a seamstress in the workshop, this is a very routine work, but it helped me cope with depression. But I didn’t work much on this, because I sew catastrophically bad and I had a lot of marriage. And with a long sewing, the back hurts a lot. If you work in sewing production, I wish you chairs with a pillow and back, which of course, it is unlikely to be in reality. Nobody offends you there? What are your relations with other prisoners?
I also congratulate you on the upcoming New Year! I wish you the speedy liberation and recovery (your mother said you were cold)!
With support and solidarity, Masha . "
What should not be written about?
Do not regret and do not blame political prisoners. Clowned encouraging words (“ Hold on! ”) Rather annoyed.
In letters you can not share other people's contact and personal data and discuss the details of the case.
All letters read the censor: Ki. Do not substitute other troubles of yourself and the interlocutors under the article: c. There are no official rules, but the general recommendations are as follows:
- You can not swear obscenities.
- You can not use abbreviations, cipher.
- Do not write about topics that can substitute a prisoner: UYU, for example, about E: E sexual orientation. There is a caste system in the male zones, the colony administration can contribute to the transfer of Politzek to the caste of the offended .
- With letters from abroad, difficulties arose in a foreign language.
- Do not criticize power and power structures in letters , even if you really want to.
- Do not use statements that can be regarded as a call for extremist or terrorist activity.
Is it safe?
Write Politze: Chkam is safe and legal according to Article 91 of the Criminal Executive Code . There were no cases of pressure on people for sending letters in Russia: Noah.
If you are still worried, you can send letters through online services under the pseudonym, and receive answers to anonymous email . You can also use VPN so as not to shine your IP address.
How to send a letter online?
Emails can be sent using several services:
- F-written : fill out all the fields and do not forget about the “Get the answer” box : your letter will be printed on the printer and, together with the answer form, will be transmitted in a conclusion: th. The answer will come to e -mail, and notifications about the passage of censorship and the presentation of the letter will also receive there. For payment, you need a Russian card. One sheet of letter costs 55 rubles. For 35 rubles you can attach an image, it will be printed on a regular black and white printer. If you correspond regularly, get the F-card to save on the commission .
- Zonatelekom is a similar service, but the price for the letter differs for different institutions. There is a service fee: 3%, but not less than 15 rubles - therefore it is more profitable to immediately put 500 rubles on the account , and then the commission will be the same 15 rubles.
- Rosuznik - a volunteer project that allows you to send a letter to prisoners from their list for free , you only need to indicate your email.
- Prisonmail.online allows you to pay for letters from foreign cards .
I'm not in Russia. What to do?
All the same. You only need to take into account the payment methods available to you.
How to send a paper letter?
Unfortunately, not all colonies and pre -trial detention centers are connected to electronic services. In addition, a paper letter is the best way to send color drawings or photos in good quality.
- On the website of the Russian Post in the online calculator, check the cost of sending a letter (opens only in Russia, use a VPN with a Russian server abroad-for example, this one ). Buy an envelope and stamps for the desired amount or envelope with a “built -in” brand.
- A simple letter costs from 25 rubles, the ordered will be more expensive, but it can be tracked by the track number. A pre -trial detention center and colonies are obliged to notify the delivery of a letter or refusal at the censorship stage, but no one does this .
- In the lower right corner of the envelope, write the address and colony index, full name: th and date E: Birth. In the upper left corner, write your name or pseudonym and address for a response letter.
- If you do not want to indicate the address, but want to get an answer - indicate the index of your post office, your real name and write " to demand ". For the answer, you will need to come to the mail and ask if you have received a letter. This is free and works in any department.
- Be sure to put an empty envelope and brand into the letter to the desired amount or an envelope with a “built -in” brand, as well as sheets of paper. Do this even if for some reason you don’t want to get an answer, so a person can write to someone else.
Can I send a paper letter from abroad?
Yes, you can! The rules are the same as for sending from Russia. But, unfortunately, sometimes letters from abroad can be checked for a long time or not miss at all.
- The postal address of the pre -trial detention center or colony and name Recipient: Nits and Sender: write nits in Russian (duplicate in foreign, if this requires the rules for sending another country).
- Put Russian brands in the envelope to be prisoner: Aya could send an answer abroad.
- A good option is beautiful postcards that do not require an answer.
- You can ask people in Russia to send your letter. Send them the text of the letter, the address of the pre -trial detention center or colony and the name of the prison: th. Your mailbox is your: And the interlocutors: Ts will be able to send an answer.
- In many large cities, evenings of letters are political prisoners outside Russia. Their organizer: Ki take the sending of letters. You will only have to think about the address to which yours: and the interlocutors: Ts will be able to send an answer.
Will the letter come?
Sometimes censorship is used for pressure on specific prisoners. You can fight this with a complaint in the electronic reception of the FSIN. The telegram boss of the human rights activist Roman Kiselev will help to draw up a complaint. There you can ask any question and get a ready -made complaint form. The more attention to the situation, the faster the “blockade” will be broken.
Parcels: What, why and how?
In pre -trial detention centers and colonies, prisoners need many things : personal hygiene and life, warm things, office, cigarettes and food. Ask Politze: Chki, what e: th is not enough.
Food, which is usually fed, the prisoners are not good and there is not enough for an adult . Food and hygiene items are ordered from the will in a prison store and sent by the parcels of “Russian Post”.
In the premises with food, put products that do not require cooking : tea, coffee, cereal, quick -made noodles, sweets, nuts and dried fruits. Avoid perishable products.
Ready food and products can be ordered through PromService.rus . In Moscow and the Moscow Region , “sitting” and “ storage” work. Not all services are equally reliable in different institutions, the package may not reach. Which service works better? This may know a neighbor: Ki Politzch: Ki on the cell. Consult with the support group in the conclusion: th.
What are the restrictions on the parcels?
Parks without limiting their number can be sent :
- in jail accused and suspect before the sentence entry into force;
- In the colony to minors and women .
For men, the number of permitted parcels during the year depends on the type of regime and content conditions. Therefore, it is impossible to send parcels to the colony and prisons without coordination with the Politzek himself, his relatives or the support group. Otherwise, you can leave a person without the necessary products or things.
How to send books?
Books, newspapers and magazines are a good way to pass the time in prison and also learn something new. Find out what the prisoner reads: Aya and what she wants to read.
Contact your family, human rights activists: Tsami or support group: perhaps the books you want to send have already been sent.
Remember the limit of parcels in male colonies. Books sent in the name of the prison: th are considered a program. Therefore, it is impossible to send them to the colony of the political male without coordination.
It is best to send the book a package to the address of the colony library . Attach the statement to the package: “ I pass the following books to the library for free ,” then list them with the list and indicate the FULL NAME POLICE: Chki. Tell E: th in correspondence what books you sent. Other prisoners will be able to take them from the library.
How to send books directly and sign a prisoner: Uyu for periodicals?
In agreement with the support group, you can send books directly. The easiest way to do this is to online order through retail chains (letter, read-city, maze) or publishers .
A subscription to periodicals can be issued on the website of the Russian Post (do not forget about the Russian VPN abroad) and on newspapers and magazines.
Delivery by the “Russian Post”. Indicate the email, the track-number will come there. Put the order for yourself, but in the “Recipient” column, write the name of the conclusion: Y, and in the column “Address” - data from a colony or pre -trial detention center.
What are the restrictions on books?
- In jail, books are limited only by weight - no more than 50 kilograms . The read books read: Aya can transfer the pre -trial detention center to the library or put it for storage. Later he: And he will be able to take them with him to the stage or ask relatives relatives: T to pick up the books.
- In the male colony, it is allowed to have no more than ten copies of books and magazines with you. Textbooks are not included in this limit. Prisoner: Aya can give a book for storage or sacrifice her colony library.
- Women and minors have no restrictions in the colonies.
Like letters, books are subjected to censorship:
- They should not contain extremist, erotic, pornographic materials, geographical maps, martial arts manuals, weapons, official dog breeding, and books on psychology are poorly missing.
- Books with pencil and other notes are not accepted.
- Books in foreign languages are checked longer, books with parallel translation sometimes go through censorship faster.
- Problems may arise with the transfer of Islamic books - in particular the Koran in Arabic without translation.
Are there any restrictions on periodicals?
- In the colonies, the number of subscriptions for periodicals is not limited, but a prisoner with him: Ka can store up to five newspapers .
- In some colonies , third parties (including relative: TsAM) are prohibited from issuing a subscription for convicts, only the prisoners themselves can subscribe. To do this, you can put money on the personal account in a conclusion: th.
- There are no such restrictions for the pre -trial detention center, only the general weight limit.
How to replenish the personal account concluded: th?
Cash is prohibited in pre -trial detention centers and colonies, but each: Y Concluded: I have a personal account where you can put the money. You can subscribe to periodicals on them, buy food and cigarettes in a prison stall.
You can replenish the account:
- Through the service of F-money . This is the easiest way to replenish the account, you will need only the name and date of birth in the conclusion: th.
- Through zonatelekom .
- On bank details (they are on the website of the FSIN Office in the region).
What is a support group and how to collect it?
Prisoners support groups take help specifically: Y Politze: ChK :
- collecting funds to pay for the services of a lawyer: K,
- disseminate information about prisoners,
- They are attended by court sessions,
- organize events in their support,
- They communicate with the media, human rights activists: TsAMI, lawyer: kami and other support groups.
To collect the support group, create a chat with an activist: kami, relative: tsami, friends and acquaintances prisoner: Oh . Exchange contacts at a court session, find them in the media and social networks. In the chat you will exchange information and distribute tasks. It is important to verify all the participation: c.
You can read more about security on the Internet in the DOXA Gaid and Second , in the materials of the greenhouse or on the site safety in the box .
How to organize an evening of letters political prisoners?
Politze: Chkkom can be like -minded in a circle: C , listening to pleasant music or watching a thematic movie. Lecture, Freimarket or film will attract more people . The evening of letters can be chamber with friends or more public if you enlist the support of media and local activist communities.
You will need: for the event:
- space,
- stationery,
- brands and envelopes,
- a column with music (optionally),
- tea.
Print information about several prisoners. Send by a lunch number of addresses to @svobot_bot .
And if I'm in Russia?
In Russia, for your event, although it is completely legal, for far -fetched reasons, security officials can appear . To protect yourself:
- Do not publish the address of the event in the public domain, send the announcements personally to what you are sure.
- Make registration in Google forms , on Timepad or in Cryptpad .
- In the form of registration, ask the Participation: C, how did they learn about the evening of letters.
- Be sure to ask to indicate your social networks so that you can verify the participation: c. Ask for contact for communication.
- Do not report the place in advance, send the point no earlier than two days before
- Meet participants 200-300 meters from the venue.
- Organize protection at the front door and think through an action plan in case of unexpected guests.
- Ask everyone to transfer phones to aircraft mode , but it is better to collect all the phones in a separate box and take it to another room. To access @svobot_bot and search for information about Politze: ChKI provide several devices with a safe connection through a VPN.
Thank you for reading this guide!
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Editor
Editor
Ivan RazgulovIllustrator
Illustrator
Stasya BububuPublication
February 23, 2024