There are several important stories today that may or may not be making the Russian press, but need to be highlighted. We’ll be doing regular rolling updates throughout the day. – Ed.
Pussy Riot Singer Nadezhda Tolokonnikova Transferred
It has been reported today that Nadezhda Tolokonnikova will now spend the remaining months of her prison sentence in a penal colony in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia. While her husband Pyotr Verzilov earlier suggested that she was being transferred to the IK-50 camp in Nizhny Ingash, Tolokonnikova’s exact destination within the region is unconfirmed. Vladimir Lukin, the Russian Human Rights Commissioner and Ombudsman to the Federal Prison Service, will escort her to her destination. It has also been claimed that Tolokonnikova’s move to the Krasnoyarsk region is a specific measure to assist in her “re-socialisation”, as she was born in the area, in the city of Norisk.
Meanwhile, two interesting legal developments regarding the case have arisen today:
Firstly, a Mordovia prosecutor has determined that some of Tolokonnikova’s complaints about conditions in Penal Colony number 14 are legitimate. The prosecutor’s office cites violations of design certification and fire safety issues. However, their investigation has not ratified complaints of poor sanitation or lack of food provisions.
Secondly, Lukin has filed a request with the Supreme Court to review Tolokonnikova’s sentence, suggesting that the punishment ought to have been a fine rather than prison. “Lukin also referred to the court Tolokonnikova’s appeal against the sentence. According to lawyer Irina Khrunova, on November 5, the appeal was handed over to Lukin and he agreed to support the application.”