Igor Paskar’s appeal began on 7 November. Here we recall the story of a man who was judged to 8.5 years imprisonment for his protest against Russian military aggression in Ukraine.
On 12 June 2022, in the centre of Krasnodar, Igor Paskar set light to a Z-banner with the inscription “We will not abandon our own”. At the time, nobody paid attention to this action.
Two days later, the same man painted his face in the colours of the Ukrainian flag and threw a Molotov cocktail at the FSB administration on Mir street in Krasnodar. Igor did not attempt to run away: as he puts it, “This was a public protest. If I had hidden, it would have lost its entire meaning”. Igor calls his protest “symbolic”, emphasizing that his acts could not harm anyone, as is demonstrated by the sole casualty: a burned rug in the porch.
Paskar was charged with having carried out an “act of terrorism” for an arson attack on the FSB building, and with “vandalism” for burning the banner.
On 31 May 2023, the court sentenced Igor Paskar to 8.5 years imprisonment. Igor and his defence lawyer Feliks Vertegel appealed against the sentence.
Paskar has already been subjected to abuse from security agents many times while in custody. Immediately after his arrest Igor was tortured in order to obtain “necessary” testimony, even though he had not denied responsibility. In the Pre-Trial Detention Centre (SIZO-5) in Krasnodar, he was not given any letters. Meanwhile, in the Pre-Trial Detention Centre in Novocherkassk, where he was transferred after sentencing, he was placed in a “Z-hut”, along with supporters and even participants in the war, who beat him as soon as he arrived (Igor has now been transferred to a different cell, which is considered “red” [i.e. under the control of the penal administration, rather than innates]).
In September 2023, the authoritative human rights organisation “Memorial” declared Igor Paskar a political prisoner on the grounds of the false interpretation of his acts by the court, and declared his sentene to be politically motivated and disproportionate, given the damage caused.
Igor was born in Volgograd region in a small industrial town, did his national service as a construction worker, mainly worked as an unskilled labourer, and has been tried on three occasions for possession of drugs. As he puts it, he has never been indifferent to what is happening in his own country and neighbouring states. So, in 2020 he went to the Belarusian embassy to support the opponents of Lukashenka, and in 2021 took part in the winter protests in support of Aleksei Navalny.
Igor’s fate is described in detail in a major article on “Mediazone”: covering his life in his native town, his harassment by the police, his work in Moscow and Krasnodar, his beloved dachshund Larisa, and his motives for the action he took.
Living in prison is like living in a vacuum, including an information vacuum: with a radio with only one channel, you have no idea what is happening to your nearest and dearest, and your own personal interests are pushed into a very distant corner. This is why it’s especially important to write to prisoners. As Igor says: “For me, even a single line of news, even without any commentary, would be interesting!”
Although Igor remains upbeat, reads books and is “mentally preparing to serve his whole sentence under the toughest conditions”, he reflects a great deal, and is genuinely cheered by new letters.
HOW TO HELP
Address for letters:
663180, Красноярский край, г. Енисейск, ул. Декабристов, д. 11, Т-2,
Паскарь Игорь Константинович 1976 г. р.
It is possible to send letters through the electronic service «Ф-письмо» and PrisonMail.Online.
BITCOIN
MONERO
USDT (TRC20)