Today is the birthday of Pussy Riot group member Ekaterina Samutsevich and Mikhail Khodorkovsky sends his wishes to Katya:

Dear Ekaterina,

I wish you a happy birthday as well as health and luck.

I know from my own experience that it is very difficult, to put it mildly, for you right now, but the support of millions of people cheers you, gives you strength and ultimately helps you to survive. Many, many people in different countries, but above all, in Russia, support you and your friends today.

The Pussy Riot case has highlighted many deficiencies of our current government, which prevent Russian people from a normal life. Ignorance of the law and double standards, cowardly, dependent judges – unfortunately, you have to personally experience all of this.

I hope that your experience in prison will soon be over. Crooks, who assert themselves at your expense, will be defeated. What conclusions will you come to? What will you take with you to a free world? Now, it is not only important for you as the eyes of the whole of Russia are upon you. Try not only to be much smarter, but also a lot kinder than your persecutors.

Once more I wish you, Nadegda, Maria and your families all the best.

Sincerely,

Mikhail Khodorkovsky

In response, the members of Pussy Riot wrote:

Dear Mikhail,
Thank you for your support and greetings, it’s an honour for me to have the same status of political prisoner as you have and to be “tried” in the same courtroom as you! I hope that our common cause to liberate the truth will be fruitful and we will find ourselves in a freer country than it is now.
Sincerely, Katya 09.08.2012

Mikhail Borisovich!
It is very important and very joyful to receive your words of support. Answering to your letter, I would like to say, and say it confidently, that I don’t hold anything against the court, or against those who yearn to imprison us (although, they say, there are less of those). Whatever there is, the internal integrity and inner freedom cannot be turned inside out and by all means that is what’s important. I have read your statement on our trial, and indeed, the trial looks very scary. But I don’t feel it as badly, in many respects because the three of us are together which makes it easier. Thank you very much, I hope that all of us will be freed soon.
Masha 09.08.2012

Mikhail Borisovich,
Thank you for your letter, for your support. My father and I went to the Khamovnichesky Court when you were tried. The aquarium is idiotic, there are highlights on the glass, and a man sitting in it is almost not visible. Therefore, when I found myself in the very same aquarium, I knew for sure that this place was created to deprive one’s face and voice. But despite all their efforts they failed to take your face and voice away. Your experience cheers up the imprisoned Pussy Riot members. Thank you.
You are respected by the people I have met at the detention facility number 6, they genuinely wish you a speedy release. We wouldn’t have refused to serve our term with you, would have talked…
But unfortunately the gender biases are still very strong in Russia, Pussy Riot have not completely wiped out this stupid division between “male” and “female”. Good luck. Everything is ALREADY well.
Nadya. 09.08.2012