Paris Demonstration In Support Of Russia’s Political Prisoners
A demonstration in support of Russia’s political prisoners took place in Trocadero Square in Paris on December 7.
The organisers of the event, Russie-Libertes, the Russian NGO based in Paris, and GRRR, the Group Countering Political Repression in Russia, along with other attendees gathered in front of the Eiffel Tower demanding the immediate release of all political prisoners in Russia.
According to the head of the Russie-Libertes, Alexey Prokopyev, the demonstration was timed to coincide with two upcoming dates: International Human Rights Day on December the 10th and the 20th anniversary of the Russian Constitution on December the 12th. Prokopyev said that the demonstration, first and foremost, supported detainees of the ‘May 6 case’, the imprisoned members of the Pussy Riot punk band, Greenpeace activists, repressed journalists and bloggers and, of course, Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev.
Demonstrators held banners with slogans demanding freedom for political prisoners in Russia, alongside photographs of those whose amnesty they seek from the Russian authorities. The stories of each of Russia’s prisoners of conscience were told through a loudspeaker.
Prior to the demonstration, a conference at Science-Po University in Paris took place last Wednesday, with the main focus of the discussion on corruption in Russia. Among the prominent speakers were Russian economist, Sergeï Guriev, who was forced to flee Russia last spring following harassment by the Russian prosecutor’s office. Guriev claimed that corruption in Russia had now reached more than 15% of GDP and that it was only going to get worse, despite the government’s official statements.
