A week into its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia introduced war censorship laws to make protest against the invasion a grave offence. Vladimir Rumyantsev built a portable radio station to transmit uncensored news about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russian authorities tracked the source of the radio signal, and he was sentenced to three years in prison. His voice must not be silenced. He needs your support.
What’s the problem?
Vladimir Rumyantsev worked as a boiler mechanic. A radio amateur, he built a small radio studio in his flat in Vologda, a city in Northwest Russia. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he used it to play and amplify broadcasts of banned media outlets and bloggers. Vladimir tried to inform his audience of alleged violations of international law committed by the Russian forces in Ukraine.
On 19 April 2022, police detected the source of the radio signal, searched Vladimir Rumyantsev’s apartment and confiscated the equipment. He was arrested on 14 July 2022 and placed in pretrial detention on charges of “public dissemination of knowingly false information about the Russian Armed Forces”. He was convicted and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. The sentence was upheld on appeal.
I wish for you and your comrades to not lose heart and to focus on how our actions will be viewed many years from now.
Vladimir Rumyantsev
His bank accounts and cards have been blocked, his savings – frozen. He has no means of supporting himself once he’s out of prison.
People across Russia like Vladimir are serving prison sentences for peaceful anti-war dissent. Russia must repeal these restrictive laws and immediately release all those imprisoned for raising their voices against the war of aggression.
What can you do to help?
Send a message of support to Vladimir Rumyantsev now to show him he is not alone. Together we are more powerful.