Solidarity zone often announces fundraisers to pay for lawyers’ fees during the appeals process. Explaining why it’s important to appeal a sentence.
1
Despite the absence of independent courts in Russia, individual appeals can still sometimes reduce the length of sentences. So why not take the chance?
For example, an appeal reduced the sentence of antiwar activist Bulat Shumekov, charged with spreading ‘fake news’ about the Russian army, from 7 years to 5.5.
2
To disagree with a sentence is to take a political position. To appeal a verdict is to take political action. For some organisations and institutions, the fact of appealing a verdict can be an important factor in deciding whether to support and recognise someone as a political prisoner.
3
Appealing a judgement in national cases is a necessary step in order to then appeal to international bodies like the UN Human Rights Committee.
4
We believe that the situation in Russia will change before these huge 10, 13, 19-year sentences are over. It would be great if these people were just unconditionally released in that eventuality. But there may be bureaucratic mechanisms introduced, forcing us to review sentences in politically motivated cases. In cases where the sentences were appealed (i.e. where the convict disagreed with the verdict), it will probably be easier to get the ruling overturned.
5
Until the appeal has been heard, the sentence does not enter into legal force and the person is still held in pre-trial detention. As a rule, conditions in the pre-trial detention centres are better than in the penal colonies that political prisoners are sent to. And they are definitely better than the prisons people are sent to if convicted on charges of terrorism.
6
An appeal hearing is often the last opportunity for a political prisoner to make a public statement.
The 6 reasons listed above seem important enough to us, so we will always support prisoners in appealing their sentences. It is often the case that the lawyer’s standard fee does not cover filing an appeal and attending the second court date for the hearing, which is why we fundraise for additional appeal fees.
The Military Court of Appeal, where appeals against sentences handed out by military courts are all considered, is located in Vlasikha, outside Moscow. Travelling expenses for lawyers from the regions (areas outside Moscow) are yet another extra expense needed to make appeals.
Remember that appealing a sentence is important. Support our fundraisers for lawyers’ fees at the appeals stage.
We use all available avenues to achieve justice, and we are playing the long game. We want to show everyone that Solidarity Zone’s cases are being persecuted for political reasons, and that the sentences against them are illegal, unjustified, and unjust.
Till all are free!