Aleksandr Neustroev is a political prisoner
A construction worker from Yekaterinburg has been sentenced to three years in a low-security penal colony for making a comment to a boy wearing a hat with the symbol of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Aleksandr Neustroev a political prisoner. Neustroev has been convicted on a charge of ‘hooliganism with the threat of violence motivated by hatred’ for swearing at a schoolboy wearing a hat with the letter Z. Neustroev’s criminal prosecution and conviction violate his right to a fair trial. We demand Aleksandr Neustroev’s immediate release and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.
What were the charges against Aleksandr Neustroev?
On 21 April 2023, Neustroev saw an 11-year-old boy wearing a hat with the letter Z, the symbol of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and began scolding him, saying he wished to speak to the boy’s parents. The boy’s father was a soldier stationed in Ukraine; his mother filed a police report, claiming Neustroev had tried to grab her son. However, the alleged actions were not captured on the nearby security camera.
Initially, Neustroev was charged with ‘petty hooliganism,’ but a criminal case was later opened against him for ‘hooliganism with the threat of violence motivated by political hatred’ (Article 213, Part 1, of the Russian Criminal Code). The head of the Russian Investigative Committee, Aleksandr Bastrykin, announced he was personally supervising the investigation.
On 9 June 2023, at the request of the investigators, the court closed the case on grounds of Neustroev’s ‘genuine remorse’ and imposed a fine of 7,000 roubles for procedural violations. Pro-government media reacted with outrage at this decision, and it was criticised by Russian State Duma deputies Vitaly Milonov, Aleksandr Khinshtein, and Yelena Yampolskaya. The prosecutor’s office appealed the ruling, and the case was sent for a retrial. On 10 June 2024, another judge sentenced Aleksandr Neustroev to three years in a low-security penal colony.
Why do we consider Aleksandr Neustroev a political prisoner?
We believe there was no evidence to convict Neustroev of the crime of hooliganism as charged. Firstly, the claim that he threatened the boy with violence, in our view, is not supported by either the video footage or witness statements. Moreover, we believe that if there had been actual violence on Neustroev’s part, a different charge would have been used against him.
Secondly, the charge of hooliganism based on ‘political hatred towards a social group, namely, “participants in the Special Military Operation,”’ is one often used arbitrarily to escalate charges against those with dissenting views.
We believe Neustroev’s actions should be treated not as a crime, but as an administrative-law offence – ‘petty hooliganism,’ which was indeed the initial decision of the investigation and then of the court. However, interventions by lawmakers and pro-government media, in a clear illustration of the political nature of the case, led to Neustroev’s imprisonment.
While we do not condone rudeness towards a minor, we believe Aleksandr Neustroev’s actions do not constitute a criminal offence.
A detailed description of Aleksandr Neustroev’s case and of our position is available on our website.
Recognition of an individual as a political prisoner does not imply the ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project agrees with, or approves, their views, statements, or actions.
How can you help?
You can write a letter to Aleksandr Neustroev at the following address:
In Russian:
623148, Свердловская обл., г. Первоуральск, дер. Старые Решёты, ФКУ КП-66 ГУФСИН России по Свердловской области, Неустроеву Александру Евгеньевичу 1966 г. р.
In English:
Aleksandr Yevgenievich Neustroev (born 1966), Penal Settlement No. 66, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Sverdlovsk Oblast, Starye Reshyoty village, Pervouralsk, Sverdlovsk Oblast, 623148, Russia.
You can also send an e-mail via ZT (for payments with Russian cards), OVD-Info and Memorial-France (free of charge).
Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the recipient.
You can donate to help all political prisoners in Russia.
