Prisoners for Peace list, November 2023

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1st December, Friday, is Prisoners for Peace Day, a day to show solidarity with those activists who have been imprisoned for their work for peace and conscientious objectors imprisoned for their refusal to take up arms. See a list of those imprisoned for their peace activism and conscientious objection below. We include those whose addresses we can obtain, and who are happy to have their names and stories made public.

Eritrea

All following prisoners are Jehovah’s Witnesses. They are not charged or sentenced. Initially, and for many years, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have reported that these 4 individuals, and many others, were imprisoned for conscientious objection to military service. Since January 2021 the indication has changed to “undisclosed reason”.

They are imprisoned in Mai Serwa Prison.

  • Bereket Habteyesus, age 31

Arrest date: 26 May 2014

  • Henok Gebru, age 41

Arrest date: 24 January 2005

  • Samuel Ghirmay, age 36

Arrest date: March 2009

  • Yosief Fissehaie, age 36

Arrest date: October 2006

Israel

We have been receiving reports of activists being detained and/or imprisoned in Israel for protesting against the ongoing war in Gaza. Due to security reasons, no names can be disclosed. However, please send your messages of solidarity with them to info@wri-irg.org with the subject line “solidarity with Israeli peace activists”, and we will deliver your solidarity messages to them via our affiliates in Israel.

Singapore

All following prisoners are Jehovah’s Witnesses, imprisoned for conscientious objection to military service. Usually, they receive a first sentence of 12 months (but it can be up to 15 months) and a second sentence of 18 months (but it can be up to 24 months). Therefore, the total time spent is usually 30 months (but it can be up to 39 months).

They are all imprisoned in:

Armed Forces Detention Barracks, 402 Lorong Kebasi (Mowbray Rd), 688791, Singapore

  • Li Ming Alexander Aw, 21

Sentenced to 30 months in total for conscientious objection. Aw is currently serving his second term in prison. Release date: 01 January 2025.

  • Ray Young Bong, 21

Sentenced to 30 months in total for conscientious objection. Bong is currently serving his second term in prison. Release date: 11 February 2025.

  • Nicolaus We Ern Chong, 22

Sentenced to 30 months in total for conscientious objection. Chong is currently serving his second term in prison. Release date: 09 February 2024.

  • Dev s/o Theorajah Immanuel, 21

Sentenced to 12 months for conscientious objection. It’s Immanuel’s first term in prison. 

  • Yong Senng Michael Lim, 20

Sentenced to 12 months for conscientious objection. It’s Lim’s first term in prison. 

  • Anjelo C. Magdaraog, 23

Sentenced to 30 months in total for conscientious objection. Magdaraog is currently serving his second term in prison. Release date: 11 May 2024.

  • Chuang Xu Daniel Poh, 20

Sentenced to 12 months for conscientious objection. It’s Lim’s first term in prison. 

  • Johnrey Omar Yu Quiseo, 20

Awaiting 1st Court Martial.

  • Junn Orville Yu Quiseo, 23

Sentenced to 30 months in total for conscientious objection. Quiseo is currently serving his second term in prison. Release date: 30 March 2024.

  • Cole Dawson Flores Rinon, 20

Sentenced to 30 months in total for conscientious objection. Rinon is currently serving his second term in prison. Release date: 30 September 2024.

  • Ming Jie Tan, 22

Sentenced to 30 months in total for conscientious objection. Tan is currently serving his second term in prison. Release date: 30 March 2024.

Russia

  • Vasilets Dmitry Vitalievich, born in 1995. 

Sentenced on April 7, 2023, to 2 years and 2 months in prison for refusing to participate again in military actions on the territory of Ukraine. Details of the case can be found here: https://memopzk.org/figurant/vasilecz-dmitrij-vitalevich/ 

Write to: 

359150, Republic of Kalmykia, Vakhtovyy settlement, Yashkulsky district, FKU KP-3 UFSIN of Russia for the Republic of Kalmykia, to Vasilets Dmitry Vitalievich (in Russian – 359150, Республика Калмыкия, п. Вахтовый, Яшкульский район, ФКУ КП-3 УФСИН России по Республике Калмыкия, Васильцу Дмитрию Витальевичу).

  • Kharisov Ilnar Ilgizarovich, born in 1992.

Sentenced to 5 years in a colony for refusing to go to war with Ukraine. Some information here: https://activatica.org/content/16e577d7-18cd-487b-be56-c3547a01e9fe/zhitelya-tatarstana-prigovorili-k-5-godam-za-nezhelanie-voevat 

The specific address of the colony where Ilnar is located could not be found, but you can try writing here: 

SIZO-1, Republic of Tatarstan, Kharisov Ilnar Ilgizarovich, (in Russian – CИЗО-1, Республика Татарстан, Харисов Ильнар Ильгизарович).

  • Skhorokhodov Yegor (Official name – Maltsev Igor Alexandrovich) 

Skhorokhodov, born in 1999, has been serving a sentence of 3.8 years in a general regime colony under Article 213 part 2 of the Criminal Code (Hooliganism) for burning a dummy in military uniform. Details can be read here – https://t.me/FreeIgorMaltsev

Write to: 

404103, Volgograd region, Volzhsky city, Alexandrova street, house 86, FKU IK-12 UFSIN of Russia for the Volgograd region (in Russian – 404103, Волгоградская область, г. Волжский, ул. Александрова, д. 86, ФКУ ИК-12 УФСИН России по Волгоградской области). 

  • Zhilin Mikhail Alexeevich, born in 1986.

Zhilin Mikhail, born in 1986, was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a strict regime colony on 20th March 2023 by the Barnaul Garrison Military Court on charges under Art. 322 part 1 ("Illegal Crossing of the State Border of the Russian Federation") and Art. 338 part 3 ("Desertion, i.e., voluntary abandonment of a unit or place of service to evade military service, committed during mobilization or martial law"). 

Zhilin Mikhail was detained on 6th December 2022 and has been in prison since then. Zhilin Mikhail is married and has two minor children. See here for more information: https://www.memopzk.org/figurant/zhilin-mihail-alekseevich/ 

Write to:

664019, Irkutsk region, Irkutsk city, Pisareva street, house 13, FKU IK-3 GUFSIN of Russia for the Irkutsk region, Zhilin Mikhail Alexeevich(in Russian – 664019, Иркутская область, г. Иркутск, ул. Писарева, д. 13, ФКУ ИК-3 ГУФСИН России по Иркутской области, Жилину Михаилу Алексеевичу). Letters can be sent by regular mail.

Ukraine

  • Yurii Sheliazhenko

Yurii is a conscientious objector, human rights defender and the Executive Secretary of the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement. He has been placed under partial house arrest in Kyiv on 15th August due to his peace activism in Ukraine. More information here: https://wri-irg.org/en/programmes/rrtk/co-action-alert/2023/ukraine-stop-proceedings-against-yurii-sheliazhenko

You can send your messages of solidarity to Yurii via email (yuriy.sheliazhenko@gmail.com) or post, writing to the address below:

Fortechny (former Tverskyi) Blind Alley 9, App 82, Kyiv, 01042, Ukraine

  • Dmytro Zelinsky

Dmytro Zelinsky is serving his 3-year jail term for refusing mobilisation on grounds of conscience. More information on Dmytro’s case is here: https://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2871

Write to:

78250, Ivano-Frankivska obl., Kolomiisky raion, Selo Tovmachik, Vul. Privokzalna bud. 30, Kolomiiska vipravna koloniya No. 41, Ukraine

Translated by
Natalia García (ES)
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