Support the politically persecuted — sign petitions against censorship in prisons!

In August 2024 we launched "Vestochka" — a service that helps send letters to those who are persecuted for political reasons. In the 3 months of Vestochka's operation, 10% of letters sent through "F-Pismo" were never delivered to recipients due to censors' refusals. 50% of replies to letters we managed to send through this service did not reach us for the same reason. That's at least 42 people whose connection to the outside world was partially or completely severed by censors' actions.

Other letter-sending services we use don't even report what happens to a letter after it's sent or whether it was delivered. However, through communication with the politically persecuted and their support groups, we know that the actual number of censorship abuse cases is significantly higher.

Together, we sent nearly 3,000 appeals through Dyatel to three pre-trial detention centers where, according to Vestochka's data, the problem of letter censorship is particularly acute, demanding an inspection and elimination of violations.

What Are Our Next Steps?

We have not yet received any response to our actions, but it's important to remember: the Penitentiary Service online reception office is obligated to register each appeal, review it, and respond within 30 days. The response may be a formal brush-off, but such a deluge of appeals cannot be ignored.

​​From our experience with past campaigns, we know that such intense public attention often leads authorities to realize it's easier to solve the problem than to answer thousands of inquiries from outraged citizens.

We are monitoring developments so as not to miss a single response. If you receive a response, please send it to us at campaign@ovdinfo.org.

We have temporarily suspended sending appeals through Dyatel. But this does not mean we are stopping the campaign. Thanks to you, we have achieved significant results, so we are not giving up and will continue to seek justice. Soon we will be able to develop a new action plan and will definitely return to you with updates.

What Can Be Done Right Now?

Our goal is to support the politically persecuted. So they don't face the system alone and can receive letters and reply to them. Letters are one of the simplest and most effective ways to support a person in detention. We know that figuring out delivery services, finding addresses and names can seem harder than writing the first letter. If that's what's stopping you—use our "Vestochka." Just write a letter, and we'll send it.

If you're not yet ready for correspondence, you can support “Vestochka” with a donation — help us pay for sending more letters to political prisoners who are isolated from the outside world. Sending one letter through services costs us an average of 160 rubles.