Rostov activists Yan Sidorov and Vladislav Mordasov released from prison

Yan Sidorov and Vladislav Mordasov, convicted in a case on organizing mass riots in Rostov-on-Don, were released from penal colonies due to the expiration of their sentences.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that in October 2019, a court found Yan Sidorov and Vladislav Mordasov guilty of plotting to organize riots in Rostov-on-Don in November 2017. Vyacheslav Shashmin was found guilty of attempted participation in the riots and sentenced in the case. In January 2021, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that Yan Sidorov was unreasonably kept in custody for almost 23 months. Two weeks before Yan Sidorov was released, the conditions for serving her sentence were tightened.

According to the investigators’ version, Yan Sidorov and Vladislav Mordasov, being administrators of the “Revolution 5/11/17 Rostov-on-Don” chat, organized in Rostov-on-Don one of the actions planned throughout Russia by Vyacheslav Maltsev, the leader of the “Artpodgotovka”**. Vyacheslav Maltsev was put on the wanted list on the charge of creating an extremist community. The activists noted that Yan Sidorov, Vladislav Mordasov, and Vyacheslav Shashmin were not active participants in opposition rallies.

The “Amnesty International” (AI) recognized all three as prisoners of conscience, and the Human Rights Centre (HRC) “Memorial”* recognized them as political prisoners, believing that the young people were planning to hold a peaceful protest, not riots. In the Rostov Region, actions in support of Yan Sidorov and Vladislav Mordasov were repeatedly held.

*The organization has been put by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) on the register of NCOs performing the functions of a foreign agent.

** The “Artpodgotovka” is an organization recognized by a court as extremist and banned in Russia since 2017.