My art and my call for you to support a brother under pressure.

Good day folks.

 

	Hi brothers and sisters, It’s notorious for being one of the most free-speech hating governments in the world. And now even Pokémon has fallen foul of Russia’s free speech laws. 21-year-old Ruslan Sokolovsky filmed himself playing Pokémon Go on his phone in a church in Yekaterinburg in August. Since then, the  authorities have been on his back – arresting him, keeping him in custody, and now barring him from leaving his house or communicating with the outside world – with the threat of up to five years in prison if he’s found guilty of the ridiculous charges against him. Act now: Call on Russia to free Pokémon Go blogger  Ruslan has been charged with ‘offending believers’ under a law that was brought in right after Pussy Riot staged their now infamous ‘punk protest’ gig, kitted out in balaclavas in a Moscow church. The law basically lets state authorities imprison people for peacefully expressing their right to free speech, if they’ve said or done something near a place of worship that the authorities dislike. This law adds to the pile of legislation stopping people holding protests, campaigning for human rights or expressing their opinions online freely. Free Pokémon Go blogger under house arrest in Russia The authorities comb the internet for anything that could be potentially illegal under the country’s wide-ranging anti-free speech laws. Ruslan’s YouTube film of him playing the game was discovered by the government’s ‘web monitoring programme’, and shown on state television in an apparent attempt to smear him as having insulted believers, and to be suffering from mental health problems. Ruslan is a prisoner of conscience, punished for peacefully expressing views – which he is perfectly entitled to do. Call on the Russian authorities to free him immediately. Call for Ruslan’s freedom now
	Thank you, Kathy Voss Urgent Action Co-ordinator Amnesty International UK		So folks, when I try to put some stuff from other peoples mail to me on my blog, there is little control I can have over the layout. Please bear with me on Pooh. (joke) Have a good day and please pass this on. Your bro Peter.