Another week, another reminder that hundreds — perhaps thousands — of prisoners sit and suffer in Russian, Belarusian, and other penal colonies, convicted of having broken laws that were specially concocted for political reasons, but who are in fact guilty only of having spoken the truth about Vladimir Putin, his ally Aleksandr Lukashenko, or Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The list hasn’t changed this week — no additions, no deletions — but there are seven people known to have been newly designated by Russia as “foreign agents.” Two of them are journalists with RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty (RFE/RL): Dmitry Sukharev, who works with Systema, RFE/RL’s Russian investigative unit; and Andrei Novashov, a contributor to RFE/RL’s Russian and North Caucasus Services. Luckily, both are presently living outside of Russia; but returning there to work would subject them to almost certain arrest and detention. [Current Time and RFE/RL’s Russian Service, January 31, 2025.]

The other five are Elizaveta Fokht and Ilya Abishev of the BBC Russian Service; Vladimir Rayevsky, a contributor to Meduza; Dima Zitser, an educator, writer and blogger; and Anton Suvorkin, a video blogger who covers Russian show business. [Id.]

Seven professionals, whose only “crime” has been reporting the facts surrounding Putin’s “special military operation” in Ukraine. But in Russia, as well as in Belarus, you don’t have to be James Bond to be classified as a “foreign agent”; you merely have to be critical of the regime.

To the seven new designees, I wish a safe and successful future. And to those on our list, already imprisoned — in Russia, Belarus, Crimea and Azerbaijan — once again, my hopes and prayers for a speedy return home:

David Barnes
Ales Bialiatski (in Belarus)
Gordon Black
Andrei Chapiuk (in Belarus)
Marc Fogle
Robert Gilman
Stephen James Hubbard
Ksenia Karelina
Ihar Karney (in Belarus)
Vadim Kobzev
Andrey Kuznechyk (in Belarus)
Uladzimir Labkovich (in Belarus)
Michael Travis Leake
Aleksei Liptser
Ihar Losik (in Belarus)
Daniel Martindale
Farid Mehralizada (in Azerbaijan)
Marfa Rabkova (in Belarus)
Igor Sergunin
Dmitry Shatresov
Robert Shonov
Eugene Spector
Valiantsin Stafanovic (in Belarus)
Siarhei Tsikhanouski (in Belarus)
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland
Vladislav Yesypenko (in Crimea)
Yuras Zyankovich (in Belarus)

And my message to Donald Trump is this:

“Amidst all of the hubbub of your new administration, it is imperative that these innocent men and women not be forgotten. Negotiations for their safe release have been underway for some time; President Joe Biden succeeded in bringing home 16 innocent people on August 1st of last year. So whatever you do, do not drop the ball on this. The people you promised to represent are counting on you.”

Perhaps you could make this your new motto:

“No Hostage Left Behind.”

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
2/2/25