Anarchist partisan Ruslan Sidiki needs a new lawyer – his lawyer was arrested!

Lawyer Igor Popovsky, who represented the anarchist Ruslan Sidiki and sought an investigation into his allegations of torture, has been detained on charges of “fraud on an especially large scale”. This was reported by The Insider media outlet, citing the leak-oriented Telegram channel “112.”

According to the channel, investigators claim that Popovsky received 6 million rubles from his client after promising to help terminate the criminal case through influence over the court and the prosecutor’s office.

The detention took place shortly after Ruslan Sidiki’s case was transferred to the Military Court of Appeals, although as recently as May 19, Popovsky was still in contact. Eventually according to Mediazona, Popovsky was confined to house arrest.

Igor Popovsky was among the few Russian lawyers who openly sought recognition of defendants in sabotage cases as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention. In 2024, he submitted a motion to investigators referring to the prosecution’s own claim that Sidiki had allegedly acted in the interests of Ukrainian intelligence, which, according to the defense, made it possible to regard him as a combatant. In addition, Popovsky succeeded in obtaining medical documents indicating that Sidiki had been tortured after his detention and insisted on an investigation into those circumstances.

Anarchist Black Cross of Moscow considers the persecution of Igor Popovsky to be revenge by Russian security forces because he publicized matters they did not want exposed.

Now one of the few brave lawyers independent of the security services is under investigation, while the imprisoned anarchist Ruslan Sidiki has been left without legal representation ahead of his appeal.

Now we need to raise funds for a new lawyer for Ruslan.

Over the past few months there have been almost no public developments in his case: the appeal has still not been scheduled, the detention center administration continues to restrict Ruslan’s access to books and the press, and instead of properly investigating his torture allegations, there has been a bureaucratic ping-pong between the Investigative Committee and the prosecutor’s office. Decisions refusing to open a criminal case have already been overturned three times, but those responsible still have not been held accountable.

That is why the lawyer’s regular work is especially important right now. In detention center conditions, a defense lawyer is not only someone who prepares complaints and appeals. They are the only person who can regularly and freely see Ruslan, speak with him confidentially, receive information from him without prison censorship, and respond quickly if pressure against him intensifies.

Letters may be blocked. Books may not be delivered. Newspapers can “disappear.” But a lawyer’s visit cannot simply be cut off by an administrative decision. For a prisoner who was already tortured after his arrest and threatened while in detention, this connection to the outside world is a matter of safety.

Recent news about the torture of Azat Miftakhov in Penal Colony IK-18 in Kharp once again shows how dangerous the situation can become when a political prisoner is left alone against the system. Public attention, letters, support, and regular access to a lawyer prevent total isolation. This is not a guarantee against violence, but it is one of the most important ways to reduce the risk of abuse and to quickly learn if it begins.

Before arrest of Popovsky, 210,000 rubles (circa 2400 euros) were required for 3 months of lawyer costs, but now the costs may grow.

Support Ruslan in any way you can. Even a small donation helps maintain regular legal defense and contact with him.

Ruble donations via the “Zaodno” platform

For transfers in other currencies:

IBAN: LT36 3250 0986 4982 1011
BIC: REVOLT21
Card holder: Anastasiia Bogdanova

PayPal: firesoffreedom@protonmail.com (with the note “for Sidiki”)

Cryptocurrency:

Bitcoin: bc1qx63u6p0tlqd40hpcgeln7sksy2hgm0gekgpw8s

Ethereum: 0xE8A926f292272391707ed1A7b55Db1466F0c0993

Litecoin: LVxHRweSkkwkNHxY432U2swpEUAMWupsrP

USDT (ERC20): 0xE8A926f292272391707ed1A7b55Db1466F0c0993

Monero: 47AqYo1kkbWYeypvDTrNtcBAKPJaHXRNjQsdRhrBm6SNVffeRLfadrqXoQ2FHgPiud6T3vLB5VjS2QKJM9MnZVJJJ8cV9tw

If you donate cryptocurrency to support Ruslan Sidiki, please email us at: firesoffreedom@protonmail.com

Another way to support Ruslan is to order a T-shirt with a print based on his artwork. All proceeds from merchandise sales go toward supporting the prisoner.

Shipping of the T-shirts is handled from Germany, and delivery is possible to almost anywhere in the world. At the same time, for security reasons, we do not ship T-shirts with this print to Russia or Belarus.

About the T-shirts:

▫️ Colors — pink and white

▫️ Sizes from XS to 3XL

▫️ Material: 100% organic cotton. The products are certified by PETA (vegan), and the manufacturer is a member of Fair Wear.

▫️ Price — €20 + shipping

Want to place an order? Fill out the form, and we will contact you within a few days.

Address for letters:
391999, Ryazan Region, Ryazhsk, Krasnaya St., 1a, SIZO-2
Sidiki Ruslan Kasemovich, born 1988

Letters can also be sent via the service PrisonMail.Online, instructions for filling the form:

Region: Ryazan oblast
Prison: Detention Center-2 Ryazhsk
Prisoner last name: Сидики
Prisoner first name: Руслан
Prisoner middle name: Касемович
Prisoner year of birth: 1988
 

Anarchist Black Cross Moscow
 

You may find the contact addresses of all prisoners in Russia supported by Anarchist Black Cross Moscow here. If you want to make a donation to a particular prisoner or case, please contact us beforehand via e-mail to make sure that the supporters of the prisoner or case are currently gathering donations, our e-mail is the same as the listed PayPal account. We are present in Telegram and Facebook, you may sign up to our e-mail newsletter here.