The human rights activist spoke about the support for Kuban pensioners in pre-trial detention.

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The founder of the "Help for Political Prisoners" movement, Elena Rokhlina, who provides support to Kuban pensioners accused of creating an illegal armed formation, spoke about the difficulties in providing them assistance and the overall decrease in the number of people willing to help political prisoners.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", pensioners Nikolai Nabiyev, Sergey Kuzovenko, and Marina Zakharova, accused of creating an illegal armed formation, complained about health problems in pre-trial detention. In May, the leader of the "Help for Political Prisoners" movement, Elena Rokhlina, reported that sympathizers monthly collect and send four thousand rubles to Nabiyev and Kuzovenko and six thousand to Zakharova; however, according to available information, the money does not always reach them and not all of them. On October 12, Nikolai Nabiyev complained that he was beaten by guards when he asked for medicine. His daughter stated that she is not informed about her father's health, and human rights activists complained about the lack of feedback from the pre-trial detention center.

The "Help for Political Prisoners" movement, founded by Elena Rokhlina in 2012, celebrated its 14th anniversary this year. In an interview with the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot", Elena Rokhlina stated that one of the principles of the movement's work is the transparency of collecting and spending money. "We teach people how those who collect money should actually report. It is not enough to just post screenshots confirming that something was sent to someone," she explained.

According to Rokhlina, after providing assistance, usually once a month, and in case of prolonged fundraising - approximately once every one and a half months, a bank statement is published. It indicates the remaining funds at the end of the previous reporting period so that donors can verify the receipts and expenses and compare the amounts with the published screenshots of transfers. Confirmations of receipt and sending of money are also posted on social media. According to Rokhlina, such reporting allows not only to control the spending of donations but also to obtain information about the prisoner to whom one wants to write a letter. "If a person wants to write a letter to a political prisoner, they will already have all the necessary information. If it is an electronic letter, the existing information is sufficient. But if a person wants to write by hand, for example, to send a postcard, then we have the address of the institution available in our blog," she said.

There are practically no people left who are willing to donate large sums

Previously, according to Rokhlina, people helped much more actively. Sometimes it was possible to send prisoners up to 50 thousand rubles. She referred to such donors as "angels." "These were very different people: pensioners, entrepreneurs, ordinary employees of government institutions. Now everything has changed. There are practically no people left who are willing to donate large sums," Rokhlina noted.

According to her, recently they have to limit assistance to amounts of two thousand rubles per person per month. "Although previously we transferred 4000 rubles for over a year. Now donations are often 200, 250, or 500 rubles, although there are people who transfer 2-3 thousand rubles. Some donors transfer from 200 to 1000 rubles," the activist said.

Rokhlina emphasized that the number of people willing to help is also decreasing, in her observation. She linked the change in the situation to the beginning of hostilities in Ukraine; according to her, people have become more afraid to materially support prisoners. In addition, many are experiencing financial difficulties themselves. Previously collected funds allowed the organization to pay for the lawyers of their wards, order expertise, and send requests that received responses. Now, according to Rokhlina, inquiries often go unanswered by law enforcement and pre-trial detention center administrations.

Rokhlina stated that donors can send money not only to the general fund but also to a specific prisoner. For this, a person indicates to whom the transfer is intended, and the movement participants find the address and forward the funds to the specified recipient. "This is convenient for people who do not want to transfer funds to a common fund for everyone or do not consider all people political prisoners but want to help someone specific. The person expresses their wish, and we fulfill their request," Rokhlina explained.

She emphasized that in this case, the organization does not determine who the donor considers a political prisoner but fulfills their request for the transfer of funds.

According to Rokhlina, although the movement has an administrator, she does almost all the work herself. The bank card is registered to a community member. Rokhlina explained this by the desire to maintain elements of collectivity in the organization's work and ensure transparency of financial operations.

I use all available channels and chats to urge people to help political prisoners

Materials about the movement's activities and reports on assistance to prisoners are published in the Telegram channel "Political Prisoners. Support. Report." Rokhlina claims that her pages on "VKontakte" and "Odnoklassniki", which had thousands of participants, were blocked. "I use all available channels and chats to urge people to help political prisoners," she said.

Rokhlina spoke about the support for Kuban pensioners

In the Krasnodar region, the organization has taken patronage over three elderly prisoners Marina Zakharova, Nikolai Nabiyev, and Sergey Kuzovenko, who are currently in pre-trial detention in the Rostov region. Volunteers collect money for them, try to send medicines and food, but face difficulties in interacting with the staff of the penitentiary institution and finding contacts with relatives.

About ten citizens sent between 200 and 1000 rubles to the three pensioners in October. "In November, we will have enough to send them money transfers of 3000 rubles, packages, and medicines for Marina Zakharova. What will happen next is unknown, but we continue to raise funds for other political prisoners," Rokhlina said.

"We allocated 8000 rubles from the collected funds for medicines and food for Marina Zakharova this month," she added.

According to Rokhlina, one of the difficulties of public work is the lack of contacts with the relatives of prisoners. She suggested that relatives may fear consequences for themselves and their careers, but she could not establish the reasons for the lack of communication. "I know that despite the fact that Marina Zakharova has two sons, they do not maintain any contact with their mother," Rokhlina said, adding that she also could not establish contact with the relatives of Nikolai Nabiyev.

I know how hard it is for such people in prison when no one is waiting for them, supporting them

She explained that the organization decided to take patronage over elderly prisoners because it considers the situation of people who remain without support from relatives particularly difficult. "I know how hard it is for such people in prison when no one is waiting for them, supporting them. That is why we took patronage over them," Rokhlina said.

A separate problem has become the transfer of medicines to Marina Zakharova, Rokhlina reported. According to her, one of the movement's volunteers, Yulia, has tried several times to transfer medicines and food to the prisoner but so far without success.

Yulia told the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" that a small amount was collected for Zakharova's medicines, and a food package was also prepared. Volunteers found out that the prisoner is in the pre-trial detention center of Novocherkassk, but obtaining information about court hearings and her movements turned out to be difficult. Court-appointed lawyers do not make contact, and it is also impossible to reach relatives.

In early October, the volunteer went to Novocherkassk to deliver a package to Zakharova. However, upon arrival, she was informed that it was a sanitary day at the pre-trial detention center and that they were not accepting packages. They did not say when the restrictions would end. On October 13, Yulia went there again. According to her, on that day, packages were accepted in a small stuffy room where a large queue had gathered. After waiting, she was informed that Zakharova had been escorted to Rostov-on-Don for a court hearing. "When I stood in line, I was told that Marina Zakharova was not there; she had been escorted to Rostov for court. I went to Rostov," Yulia said.

The next day, on October 14, she tried to deliver medicines and food to the Rostov pre-trial detention center, but there she was told that Zakharova had already been transferred back to Novocherkassk, and the package was not accepted. The volunteer intends to make another attempt. According to her, she is preparing to go again on Monday, October 19, to Novocherkassk to stand in line and deliver the package.

I understand that a person under the patronage of a public organization is in trouble, living without medicines, and she definitely needs help

Yulia noted that she has a family, a job, and her own affairs, but she considers it necessary to continue trying to help the prisoner. "I understand that a person under the patronage of a public organization is in trouble, living without medicines, and she definitely needs help," the volunteer explained.

Elena Rokhlina believes that for the transfer of necessary medications, volunteers should not have to travel between cities and repeatedly try to get into the institution.

According to her, in the pre-trial detention center where people with serious illnesses are held, there is insufficient medical assistance. She also claims that prisoners cannot independently purchase the necessary medications in the prison pharmacy, as there are no such pharmacies in the pre-trial detention center, only super-expensive stores where, for example, a kilogram of oranges costs about 1000 rubles. "It would be easier for us to transfer them money for medicines than to travel like this for a political prisoner across various cities and villages to deliver a simple but so necessary set of medicines," Rokhlina said.

She urged people to continue supporting prisoners despite the decrease in donations and difficulties in the movement's work. In her opinion, people should not refuse to help just because of fears. "I urge everyone to provide assistance to political prisoners, of whom there are many in our country," Rokhlina said.

Despite the decrease in donations, organizational difficulties, and unsuccessful attempts to deliver medicines, the movement continues to raise funds and seek ways to support prisoners. "The majority of donations now are small amounts: 200, 250, or 500 rubles. People send such amounts as much as they can. But even these people are becoming fewer," she summarized.