The PSOL federal bench sent a letter to the Russian ambassador in Brazil, Alexey Labetskiy, questioning the persecution of Russian activists and against the arrest of Anastasia Ponkina and Matvey Aleksandrov, part of the authoritarian escalation in this country. The letter, which was part of an international action of left-wing parliamentarians in defense of peaceful activists, follows below:

Ofício Nº 31/2021
Brasília, April 06, 2021

To His Excellency Mr.
Alexey Kazimirovitch Labetskiy
Ambassador of the Russian Federation

Subject: Criminal cases against leftist activists Anastasia Ponkina and
Matvey Aleksandrov

Mr. Ambassador,

We, the deputies of the Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL), have come to demonstrate our great concern about criminal cases against left-wing activists Anastasia Ponkina in Izhevsk and Matvey
Aleksandrov in Moscow, of which we have learned. We have been informed that Matvey Aleksandrov and Anastasia Ponkina, young students and workers, are being accused of participating in peaceful, nationally organized protests on January 23 of this year. Matvey was arrested and upon his release was immediately detained and sent back to prison for another 15 days under the same article. Anastasia, in turn, is facing the possibility of being sentenced to up to 5 years in prison, cruel punishments incompatible with the exercise of political freedom. As representatives of the left in Brazil, we are very concerned about the growing practice of criminal prosecution of left-wing activists in the Russian Federation, and we ask you to convey this concern to your government.

Sincerely,
Talíria Petrone – PSOL Leader
Áurea Carolina- PSOL – MG
David Miranda – PSOL – RJ
Fernanda Melchionna – PSOL – RS
Glauber Braga – PSOL – RJ
Ivan Valente – PSOL – SP
Luiza Erundina – PSOL – SP
Marcelo Freixo – PSOL – RJ
Sâmia Bomfim – PSOL – SP
Vivi Reis – PSOL – PSOL – PA