On 19 November 2024, the 13th Forum of the Free Nations of Post-Russia “Rethinking the Future of Russia” was held in Ottawa. Within the framework of this forum, the thematic exhibition of the international human rights project “Real Prisoners of Putin. Political Prisoners of Enslaved Nations” was presented. The project, initiated by the Anti-Imperial Block of Nations, was presented in partnership with the League of Ukrainian Canadians.
During the work of the Forum, which took place in one of the premises of the Parliament of Canada, the participants of the event had the opportunity to get acquainted with the stories of real prisoners of the Kremlin: Zarema Musaeva (Chechnya), Altan Ochirov (Oirat-Kalmykia), Natalia Filonova (Buryatia), Mikhail Afanasyev ( Khakassia), Airata Dilmukhametova (Bashkortostan), Parvinakhan Abuzarova (Tatarstan), Faila Alsynova (Bashkortostan), Alexandra Gabysheva (Sakha-Yakutia), Zarifa Sautieva (Ingushetia), Andrii Vasyurenko (Karelia), Crimean Tatar activists Asan Akhtemov and Raif Fevziev.
The project received favourable reviews from the Forum delegates, members of the Parliament of Canada, and representatives of the LUK. In particular, one of the leaders of the Buryat national liberation movement, Maryna Khanhalayeva, emphasized: “The presented project is vital in terms of conveying information to the free world about the real opponents of the Putin regime. It is very important that the exhibition reveals the names of real prisoners who need our support and help! When the so-called Russian opposition solemnly covered the release of Kara-Murza, Yashin, and Pivovarov in all the world’s mass media, they forgot about the political prisoners of indigenous nations, as always. Listening to Yashin’s complaint that he was fired without his consent, we thought about Oleksandr Gabyshev, whose consent was obtained and safely ignored.”
The well-known American political scientist Janusz Bugaisky also gave a high assessment of the project and, at one time, raised the issue of the need to create a complete list of political prisoners of the enslaved nations of the so-called Russian Federation.
According to the organizers of the project, in partnership with the League of Ukrainian Canadians, the exposition of the exhibition is planned in several Canadian provinces: local parliaments, media clubs and centres of Ukrainian life in Canada.
