Monday, June 29, 2020

‘Sitting Russia’ Activists Will Still Help Prisoners Despite Suspension of Organization


Paul Goble

            Staunton, June 27 – A sad case in the history of the defense of the rights of prisoners in Russia has ended in a way far less disastrous than it appeared it would only a few days ago. The Sitting Russia group long devoted to protecting the rights of prisoners was forced to suspend operations, but its activists pledge to continue to fight for those who often have no other defense.

            The organization lost a suit brought against it by a former staffer who charged that he had been wrongly accused and faced such an insurmountable debt as a result that it could not hope to continue its work in the form that it had. But its leader, Olga Romanova, says that its employees while having their pay cut will continue to work.

            The former staffer, she says, violated the organization’s rules but won in court and has forced Sitting Russia to suspend its operations in its current form and to appeal to its supporters not to make contributions until things are clarified because it is unclear where they will end up – for the group’s purpose or for the disgruntled former employee.

            Nonetheless, the needs of prisoners and their families are no less, and those who have sought to help them under the banner of Sitting Russia since its founding in 2008 will continue to do what they can with the means they have (mbk-news.appspot.com/suzhet/olga-romanova/,

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