Tatiana Laletina
“…My story, in today’s reality, has become something ordinary. My conversations with myself and my drawings are like a monument to this era. I want to preserve all its horror when this horror ends, I can reread my thoughts and relive my memories.””
Tatiana Laletina is a 22-year-old student and artist from the Siberian city of Tomsk who was sentenced to 9 years in prison for donating $30 to Ukraine in 2022.
On the first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Tatiana donated $10 to a Ukrainian fund. After reports emerged in April 2022 of war crimes committed by Russian soldiers in Bucha, she made a further $20 donation.
Two years later, the police raided her apartment, logged into her smartphone and gained access to a chat with Tatiana’s best friend. Tatiana was sentenced to “high treason” committed through “providing financial assistance to a foreign state for activities aimed against the Russian Federation.” He was sentenced to nine years in prison. Her trial was held on camera, violating the principles of transparency in the justice system and infringing Tatiana’s rights.
The details of Tatiana’s case were revealed to the public by Kseniia Fadeeva, another political prisoner and colleague Alexei Navalny. Kseniia met Tatiana by chance in a prison cell and then shared her story with the press and human rights NGOs.
Tatiana’s case highlights that many people in Russia are still imprisoned for political reasons, but the public is unaware of their situtaion. This is why human rights organisations in Russia keep emphasising that the total number of political prisoners in Russia is much higher than currently thought. In prison, Tatiana maintains active correspondence and creates anime-style drawings.
“I went back to my cell and felt an overwhelming joy – only nine years! My cellmates looked at me and said that maybe what matters most is that I’m happy. Still, nine years is a very long time. My story, in today’s reality, has become something ordinary. My conversations with myself and my drawings are like a monument to this era. I want to preserve it all so when this horror ends, I can reread my thoughts and relive my memories.””
Tatiana Laletina.
Note: High treason is a crime punishable by 12–20 years in prison in Russia.
