Hi,
A friend of mine, this guy:
Konstantin Golava – an
outspoken human rights and LGBT equality activist and a courageous advocate for
alternative civilian service from Samara region in Russia, is
now facing bogus but very grave charges.
It is not a new battle for him. It is a new hellish chapter of
his ongoing battle against injustice and lawlessness. He has spoken up
for environmental causes; HIV prevention; alternative, non-military
service; and LGBT equality. While big things are to be done for
Konstantin to come through the risks he is facing, there are
also little things where anyone can pitch in and make a difference.
About this new hellish chapter in his battle
On 13 May, Konstantin was detained at his apartment in Togliatti
and brought to the police and then to the Investigative Committee for
questioning. Konstantin learned that he is facing criminal charges for
‘extremism’ (Article 282 of the Criminal Code of Russia – incitement
to ethnic hatred). The case is being concocted, as it has been with
other critical voices, based on his social networks posts against
Russian military actions in Ukraine. These charges may result in up to
2 years in prison.
Konstantin was released after questioning and
he has secured support of a lawyer who will work on this case to
defend him. The big thing is being taken care of.
About the little thing we can do
to support
him
Konstantin’s apartment was searched; his phone, laptop, and data
storage devices were confiscated. Without them, he is almost fully
disconnected – from those who support him and from his campaigning.
And these devices are not coming back to him any time soon.
If we all chip in, we will bring him a replacement
laptop (for example, this one from a local store in
Samara) and perhaps even a tiny emergency fund,
to keep on.
Most importantly, our contributions will be a small yet very
tangible sign that Konstantin is not alone. That there are many
people who care, who are watching what is happening, and who are
taking very concrete actions to support him in his amazingly brave activism.
Please donate, people! And please spread the word.
There is
great power in little things.
Thank you for being here,
Anastasia
* Note on donations:
For using this platform, FundRazr withdraws from each donation approx. 8%: a 5% FundRazr fee + Payment Provider fee of 2.9% + 30¢.
* Note on the purchase and reporting:
The purchase will be made online in a local store (as linked in the text above), with delivery to Konstantin's address. It will be reported on the campaign page with all corresponding receipts, which can also be emailed to all contributors who subscribe to the campaign page (please click 'Follow' on top of the page for this option).
In (a highly unlikely) case of Konstantin's laptop being returned to him by the investigators later, the one purchased with your contributions will be donated to the Samara LGBT movement 'Avers', which Konstantin is an active member to.
* Why it is not Konstantin himself collecting donations :
Linking crowdfunding campaigns to a Russian bank account is a more complicated task given additional scrutiny that banks in Russia now demonstrate. Even if Konstantin had an account in EUR or USD - which he does not have. Besides and most importantly, he is expecting his bank accounts to be temporarily blocked in the nearest future in relation to the criminal investigation against him.
Thank you for reading this. If any of your questions, remarks, or concerns are not addressed here, please share them in the comments below.
*"Serve to peace, not to a general" - Konstantin picketing a Togliatti military enlistment office
Read recent reports about the case against Konstantin:
in Russian -- http://www.svoboda.org/; http://www.bbc.co.uk/russian/, http://www.interfax.ru/
in English -- http://www.buzzfeed.com/susiearmitage/