Nadya had publically complained of threats she received from prison officials (Photo Credit: Maksim Blinov/AFP/Getty Images).
Pussy Riot member Nadezhda “Nadya” Tolokonnikova is rumored to have been transferred to a prison colony in Siberia. But we can’t know for sure because Russian authorities refuse to disclose her whereabouts.
If these reports are true, transferring her to a prison colony thousands of miles from Moscow would make it impossible for her family and lawyers to see her. This would be a grave violation of her human rights and Russia’s own laws.
It’s especially concerning because Nadya had publicly complained of threats she received from prison officials. We fear she may now be being punished for this and for speaking out against deplorable prison conditions.
There is a global spotlight now on the deteriorating human rights crisis in Russia. Sending Nadya to Siberia will not dim the glare on President Putin’s crackdown on basic freedoms.
Russian authorities must immediately tell Nadya’s family where she is and allow her access to a lawyer. Nadya is a brave voice for freedom, and prisoner of conscience who should not have been taken to jail in the first place. Refusing to say where she is now just fuels rumors and adds to fears of a worst-case scenario. It also further cements a perception, in the run up to next years Olympics in Sochi, that the Russian authorities will do whatever they can to stifle peaceful dissent.
Amnesty International continues to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all members of Pussy Rio and we are documenting the many other incidents of human rights violations in Russia on an interactive timeline.
This kind of thing cements my decision to never visit certain countries. Russia is one of those countries I will never visit, along with all of the countries in the Middle East. I love my freedoms and have no desire to lose them.
What about human rights? you have to respect the laws of a country, but you can not keep people in prison without a fair trial.
Those who want a severe punishment often do not know the case.
They even talk about the death penalty
What will be their punishment after their own death.
I can understand standing up for Human Rights but we need to be mindful of the laws in certain foreign countries. You can't expect to go over there and get away with things that break THEIR laws and then expect to be treated like an American! They could care less who you are and where you came from, you will be at the mercy of them! I would never go to Russia and a few other countries. I cherish my freedoms.