Political prisoner Igor Stenin was subject to unprecedented pressure in a Russian prison

[el_gr]

We, Kirill Yelistratov and Elena Grebenyuk, human rights activists, appeal to all our friends who live beyond the borders of Russia to publish this article on the Anglophone media. Political prisoner Igor Stenin was subject to unprecedented pressure in a Russian prison. The guards try to break his will to resist. We hope that the publicity will help the release of our comrade. Freedom for all political prisoners! Freedom for Igor Stenin! The "Caucasian Knot" reported Igor Stenin was accused of reposting in the Russian social network ‘VKontakte’ an extremist article about the war in Ukraine. On May 16, 2016, Igor Stenin was sentenced to two years in a colony-settlement. On July 28, 2016, the Regional Court upheld the verdict. On June 9, 2016, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" called the criminal proceedings against Igor Stenin politically motivated. In the course of appeal proceeding, experts reported that the text for which Igor Stenin was sentenced was posted by another Internet user as a comment. "The verdict was appealed against by my lawyer and myself," Igor Stenin told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent in his comment on the decision to lodge an appeal against the verdict. Igor Stenin insists that the extremist article published in the group ‘Russians of Astrakhan’ of ‘VKontakte’ network was attached by the user ‘Sergey Romanov’, who commented on one of Stenin's posts; and one of screenshots in the case files was edited by investigators. The cassation complaint states the original record added by user ‘Sergey Romanov’ to the Igor Stenin's post, was initially published on Sergey Romanov's page in Facebook. "However, reposts of materials and comments between two social networks, Facebook and 'VKontakte', are impossible. This fact was confirmed by the experts, invited to the session of the appellate instance. This fact is confirmed by materials in the case," said Igor Stenin. Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.



http://www.eng.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/37185/