Olga Romanova three years living in Berlin. She had to leave Russia after the Deputy head of the Federal penitentiary service Anatoly Rudy wrote on her application and in the offices of the Fund came with a search warrant. To prove you’re not a camel, it’s easier when you’re on the territory of another country.
Olga, the case is closed or you still in limbo?
I’m in limbo are from time to time for different cases. Case closed and buried last fall, when the leadership has changed in the FPS. But since then there have been two more cases — one current and one failed. At a very old post on Facebook by a student from St. Petersburg gave me a statement. I don’t know about it.
— And what is the second thing?
— First, Russia Today, and then Ren-TV, with which we are suing, said that in respect of “Russia sitting” a criminal case under article 207.1 about the proliferation of fakes on the coronavirus. But the fact that this text was not simple. We had to publish that in a colony-settlement of the village of Toporok one thermometer that is kept at the checkpoint and people with fever have to go there to measure it. About the coronavirus there was nothing, even the word was not used. So we can’t show a screenshot of the publication on which criminal case is brought. In addition, I would like to know against whom a criminal case against “Russia sitting” or against me? Cannot be held on criminal charges the legal entity. In such cases, valid Administrative code. I was summoned for interrogation on 27 April, in the midst of quarantine. Let them understand this.
So, a trip to Russia can be unsafe?
— I have to go to Russia anyway. My job, house, mother etc., but it is impossible due to quarantine coronavirus.
Learned German during this time?
— Well, no, to learn German, I think, impossible in principle, if you are not born in Germany. I speak to store-household level.
Olga, when was the last time you were in Russia?
— in December In Moscow for work. Periodically, when I leave, I go. Had to abandon the trip in March because it was unclear when he could return to Berlin.
is it Difficult to lead “Russia sitting” at the distance of 2000 miles?
No. Sadly, I see very few people, but we kept in touch. I have extensive experience: since 2008 I have worked in virtual offices, in particular in the “Elephant”. We haven’t seen each other in person, although all lived in Russia.
Your Foundation is one of the few organizations in Russia that write letters by hand. What are these messages from the zone?
— In DOS��VNOM in one letter all about difficult life situations, which led to jail, the difficulties in the places of deprivation of liberty, that need legal or financial help, and very often people are asking not for yourself. This is especially touching. Ask for family, for children who, for example, without mother, elderly parents.
Tell me, Olga, lawyers “Russia sitting” manages to get in the zone to his client?
— there are reports of areas, particularly from Astrakhan, which gradually begin to lift the quarantine. So there will be access to relatives, lawyers, etc. and, secondly, during the quarantine, many lawyers were able to get through. It wasn’t easy, but sometimes it worked.
Remember, you had a personal “black list” of people with whom you have had accounts. It has decreased?
— It is reduced for various reasons, more because of my growing up. When I grow up I will become a prison chaplain. There is something to strive for. I have a philosophical approach to this. Put yourself in the place of the person about which all speak, and hope that he will ever leave. And he thinks he is good at doing its job. You don’t want a man occupying a high position, leaving a hooting. It is a terrible punishment. I have these people in your “black list” is not included. I’m afraid to imagine yourself a ninety-year-old woman in a rocking chair, which comes granddaughter says, “Grandma, you’re an idiot!” But stupid okay, not punishable. Worse — “Grandma, you bastard.”
— Sometimes, law enforcement officers found themselves behind barbed wire and were looking for you have protection?
— of Course, more than once. And I have realized that in this situation, before you say no, you have to think. People can sincerely repent and bring a lot of benefit, because he knows the system, often better than any lawyer. He is part of it. A good example Andrei Grivtsov. He’s a lawyer who works a lot with the protection of rights, and prior to that was an investigator for particularly important cases of the Chief investigatory management SK at office of public Prosecutor of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it took in Moscow, the biggest in the history of Russia a bribe of 15 million dollars. Only Zakharchenko was able to surpass this record. We were not going to take his case, he didn’t cause me any sympathy, but once crossed, when he was free, he was acquitted by a jury. I saw how he lives, saw his mother, and in some point believe that he really was framed.
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You are, of course, aware that the Investigative Committee refused to classify the case sisters Khachaturian. Their actions still qualify as murder on preliminary arrangement. This is vrsr��z with the arguments of the Prosecutor General.
In my opinion, it makes sense. The Prosecutor General’s office will not be much to resist, there is a new Prosecutor comes from the Investigative Committee. The sisters Khachaturian — a consequence of decriminalization of violence. We still live in a very Patriarchal and chauvinistic society and don’t notice this.
“MK” told the story of a criminal prosecution Oksana Ermakova (“Three years in hell: a woman shut in jail after an audit of the Bank”). She recently released. It is a victory for advocates of “Russia sitting”.
— Now, after 12 years, I understand the victory is not what people at large. Often this is not so important. The main thing — to find yourself, to begin to live and work on. If they remain rejected by society and the state, their return to jail is inevitable.
What’s new in the Fund?
— We all work more and more with the Ministers of religious worship of different faiths. I never expected how much they care when we are talking about real people. For example, we are working closely with Archpriest Gregory Mihnova-Voitenko from St. Petersburg, the Bishop of the Apostolic Orthodox Church. I am very grateful to father Alexey Osinskomu his arrival at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Khokhlov and engaged in prison Ministry. Actively help the different types of Jewish organizations. What worries me more. Observe that many areas in Russia “green”, and the Russian penitentiary system is not able to influence it. And Muslim Diaspora especially never worked in prisons, and they are also the situation missed.
This is due to the rise of radical Islam in the colonies?
— we had a “red” and “black” areas is a fairly old division. In many places of deprivation of liberty “looking” was the Georgian authorities, but since 2008 they were squeezed out of Russia. This was even unofficial policy of the Federal penitentiary service. And now there are green areas where to have strong influence of radical Islamists. When these areas are trying to work Muftis, they get fired. It is believed that such a mufti is cooperating with authorities, it is impossible to say, he’s “dirty”. Prisoners very harshly react to it. And now I see very few attempts to influence the situation.
— And what about the employees of the colonies?
— If you do not do the Muftis, it is not able and staff. They can only apply force, and force are notoriously difficult to rehabilitate. I think this problem should be solved at another level — meetings and negotiations with major representatives of the Muslim world. In the colony were more likely to get immigrants from Central Asia, including migrants, because they often use��s on the tab of the drug. They seek the protection of powerful people, not Russian authorities, which migrants just despise.
How does it happen?
— For example, in some zone it appears the prisoner, who holds radical views. This is a strong man both physically and ideologically. It has strong support from liberty. And he begins to play essentially the role of a thief in law — to keep the area what is called. And very often peaceful farmers (Central Asian peasants), who were in prison by accident, in detail, as our regular guys, being in such a situation, go to the thieves, because there is food and protection. It’s the same case, just different ideology. In some areas is a real recruitment. So believer, aloverose or far from it goes to the radical extremists.
— I read somewhere that they take under protection even “omitted”, which are considered in the areas of Les Miserables. Change the rules of the underworld, governing the behavior of prisoners, comes from Islamic fundamentalism.
— Exactly. It turns out that this is a human rights organization in the area. Last year there were a few collisions in zones, but these were reported in such a way that the Caucasian thieves revolted against the Russian thieves. But it was thieves, seriously together with the administration, trying to resist the Islamization of the prison.
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— are You studying German prison. They are better than ours?
— When you walk in the old prison, just remember our jail. Here “Moabit” is very similar to our “Crosses”. A “Tegel” — on “the Prison”. It’s an old building with old infrastructure, but the Germans were able to modernize them. They still look boring and uninteresting, but the penitentiary this should be. People need to wean itself from criminal adventure. German prison experienced over the last 100 years, the two transformations. Concentration camps in Germany disappeared after the war, but they are, in fact, another 40 years remained in the GDR. I saw these prisons, now there are museums. And the Stasi prison in Berlin is reminiscent of our “Matrosskaya Tishina”. Worse. Because the severity of our laws is constrained by their frequent failure, and the Germans strictly follow all instructions. When in 89, the year the wall fell, GDR prisons were simply destroyed and translated into a system of Western type. Many jailers, who were not connected with politics, and deal with the criminals, not lost my job. Learn German prison instructions and understand the main thing: people on this service serves society, it fixes the marriage, made by the society.
— As in Germany belong to the prison Department?
— to Be employICOM prison system here is very cool. There’s a lot of competition, and if you took, and you some years worked well, you almost impossible to fire. You don’t have to worry about retirement and old age. Very welcome, if you are writing a thesis or doing research. For example, the author of the UN manuals on how the prison administration must fight corruption, the namesake of our Reimer, Martin Reimer, Director of the prison Tegel.
why don’t we cool to work in this system?
— Not because employees do not pay the money. There’s a lot of money, it is the sixth biggest budget in Russia, even the FSB budget is less. Have to complain that there is no respect for this profession. Many of our realities in Germany is unclear. In particular, torture. As an old campaigner, very similar to our petty officer, tried to explain to me why he never yells at the prisoners. He just wants his superiors valued, so he does not need the excesses and incidents. He communicates with prisoners politely shakes hands. He even does not occur that the incident can be easily hidden.
— In March in almost all prison systems in the world because coronavirus has introduced new rules. Like in Berlin?
Prison Shiel mask, as we do. Prison Ministry is all the time updating its newsletter to notify of what is happening there. Stopped accepting new. If Moscow Kapotnya brand-new works is jail No. 7, the Berlin people who have committed crimes of medium gravity, now waiting for their turn. What is important for our country? Extradition from Germany is currently suspended, not only because people cannot be sent to Russia, taken into account the situation with coronavirus. If it is proved that in the Russian prisons the situation is worse, the person remains in a German prison, and there is an offset term. During the quarantine, the courts have suspended their activities, worked on Skype. Many prisons have installed Skype, and the prisoners communicated online. It is now possible to get a date.
— And what limitations are in Berlin?
— we Have quite a lot of restrictions. We all wear masks and keep our distance: in shops, in transport. You know what struck me when I was a rigid quarantine? Transportation continued to circulate, and the whole of Berlin knew that it is forbidden to work the controllers. And people were coming up to the counter and bought a ticket. Everything was based on trust. The anarchist city that parks were not closed even for a day, it is always crowded, people walking, because the German and fresh air is one and the same. Were open all nudist venues, people would crawl out to bask in the sun, but the trip bought!
Olga you are an open person. You can question a personal plan? In Berlin broke up your marriage to Alexei Kozlov. For his release from prison you fought 5 years. I remember your post on Facebook with the words “for Several months I lived in hell, trying to understand. Trying to save themselves, and sometimes not really trying”. You today?
— With Alex we never met. We do not communicate. He lives in Berlin. Used me to move here. The next day after my arrival told me to whom he moved, and did everything to ensure that I didn’t stay here but I had nowhere to go. A year later I met a wonderful deal, and since then we are together. He was a German Turk, with retired military. I’m quite happy. He learned the word “group” in our sense. DIL wants to learn Russian language and asked me, are there any Russian films about my work. I told him “Brigade” set. Not really, of course, that’s my job, that is not it. But “the Era of mercy” has not been removed.
