Moscow. June 14. INTERFAX.RU Writers, Nobel prize winners Herta müller and Svetlana Alexievich, and winner of the Prix Goncourt Jonathan Littell appealed to the Council of Europe Commissioner for human rights, Dunja Mijatovic, the in support of the head of the Karelian “Memorial” Yuri Dmitriev, who is accused of sexually abusing foster daughter.
“We are driven by anxiety over life and destiny of the Russian historian Yuri Dmitriev, a renowned scholar of the Gulag and the firing of the discoverer of the polygon Stalinist era in Sandarmokh (Republic of Karelia, Russia). His criminal case is now being considered by the city court in Petrozavodsk,” — said in a letter published Sunday in “Novaya Gazeta”.
the Authors believe that the case of the head of the Karelian “Memorial” is based “on the desire to drown out the memory of repression and deal with Dmitriev”. “We are convinced that the trial will be fair Dmitriev, Yuri released”, — said in the letter.
the appeal notes that on the charges the 64-year-old Dmitriev can be sentenced to up to 20 years. “The sentence will be the end of not only his research, but also of life.”
the trial Dmitrieva after the restrictions coronavirus resumes June 15.
5 April 2018 Petrozavodsk city court has completely justified Dmitriev’s article about the production of child pornography, as well as the article on indecent assault against his daughter, recognizing his right to rehabilitation and reparation. The court recognized Dmitrieva guilty of illegal possession of parts of shotguns and sentenced to 2.5 years of restriction of liberty, but took into account the period that he spent in prison. The Prosecutor demanded for the head of the Karelian “Memorial” 9 years in a strict regime colony on the totality of the charges.
However, on 14 June of the same year, the Supreme court of Karelia on results of consideration of appeals and prosecutors quashed the first instance verdict and sent the case for retrial. June 27, 2018 Dmitriev was arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse of adopted daughter, the next day he was arrested.
Dmitriev was the book of memory of victims of political repressions in Karelia in 1930-40-ies. In addition, he found in the region of mass graves of victims of repression in Sandarmokh and the Red forest.
on 9 April this year, the official representative of the European external action service (EBU) questioned the motives of the arrest of Dmitriev and called for a review of his case.
In early may, about 150 figures of science and culture in an open letter to the President of the Supreme court of Karelia Anatoly Nakasu asked to replace ��dmitrievu the measure of restraint on not connected with detention due coronavirus in jail, where it is contained. The court left the preventive measure unchanged.
