Some of Russia’s leading human rights experts and commentators spoke about the significance of the event (below).  Their commentary first appeared in the Yezhednevny Zhurnal and Grani.ru online newspapers.

Viktor Shenderovich, writer:

Thank God that this happened.  But then comes the question – what are we measuring against?  If we measure against the norms of a civilized European country, then this happened with terrible red tape, after torturous efforts from the public, with a great deafness on the part of authorities, and so forth.  If we measure against Uzbekistan or something along those lines, or even the recent unipolar-Putinist times, when absolutely no one was pardoned and no one was released… then this can be seen as progress.  The glass is either half full or half empty.  I, perhaps, will consider it half full.  It’s better this way.

Lev Ponomarev, chair of the For Human Rights movement:

Many readers of Yezhednevny Zhurnal will probably see this as a momentous event.  Others will express great skepticism.  This discussion is taking place: what is happening in the country, “who is mister Medvedev,” and so forth.  Of course, this event will propel this discussion to a new thread, and there’s no arguing that this is a a significant event.  But before all else, this is joy with teary eyes, because we won’t forget what happened around Bakhmina.

I’d like to remind you of one moment which remains particularly clear in this whole history with Bakhmina – when Bakhmina, pregnant and in her seventh month, withdrew her request for pardon.  At the time it was completely evident, that a women in such a condition could only withdraw a pardon request under strong pressure from the system.  We bore witness to the bared teeth of the regime, and the most brutal regime at that.

It was evident that in the end they would free her, after she had a successful birth.  But aside from that, I’d like to reiterate, that the judge, in reading the decision, said that the court took into account the fact that she admitted her guilt and expressed remorse.

We don’t know yet whether the system has finally released her or not.  We don’t know what role is foreseen for her in the trial against Khodorkovsky and Lebedev.  We’ll see, and we’ll be watching.  I’m not certain that the system has finally released her from its embrace.  Which is why we must also rejoice with caution.  It seems to me that it’s early to be making any sort of far-reaching conclusions.

Valentina Melnikova, chair of the Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers:

Thank God, although I didn’t expect this.  Last year, no one was released.  Evidently, Sveta Sorokina needed to go to Medvedev, in order for the court to issue such a ruling.  In general this isn’t normal, that people aren’t released on parole.  There have never been as many people in the women’s prisons as now, all of them are overflowing, the women are held in inhumane conditions.

We didn’t collect signatures for naught, despite everything, by any means necessary.  Everything is very slow in our country.  And after this case, who knows, maybe they’ll start releasing people.  There was a parliamentary hearing recently in the Public Chamber devoted to public control over prisons.  We turned to representatives from the Prosecutor General’s Office, to representatives from the Supreme Court: what is it, guys, do you have an order not to release anyone?  They said: no, of course not… Imprisoning people for economic crimes, whether men or women, is simply idiocy..  This isn’t murder, not robbery.  I am very happy for Svetlana, our joint efforts had an effect after all.

Grigory Chkhartishvili (Boris Akunin), writer:

I am incredibly happy.  I don’t even feel like grumbling: why didn’t they do this sooner, why did they drag it on and on for so long.  Thank you for releasing Svetlana Bakhmina, and even for free, not for two million, like [Vasily] Aleksanyan.  Maybe the late spring is truly starting?  I very much wish it were true.

Stanislav Belkovsky, publicist:

This decision was pretty-much expected.  On the political level, it was made several months ago.  It is another matter that since it was postponed several times, few believed in it.  I’m not speaking, of course, about any kind of deal between Bakhmina and prosecutors.  Dmitry Medvedev has shown that he is prepared to allow the release of certain people and become involved in high-profile cases, but only through the mechanisms of the court – Bakhmina’s pardon appeal was ignored by the president.  With this he has shown the nature and style of his policy in relation to high-profile cases.  I think it is possible that he will continue to become involved in the cases of famous prisoners, but in a way that it won’t be evident, so there won’t be proof of this type of involvement.

Besides that, Medvedev understands the problem of the penitentiary system as a whole: prisons are overcrowded, hundreds of thousands of people who don’t pose any danger to society are serving time.  As result, when dealing with cases that aren’t of a high-profile, but from certain categories of prisoners, it is possible there will be pardons, an institution which was recently restarted after a long pause, and amnesties.  I see what has happened as a positive signal, although it was too long in the coming.

Aleksandr Ryklin, editor-in-chief of the Yezhednevny Zhurnal:

The situation was coming together in such a was that it was clear that in the end, of course, they’d release her.  This, evidently, was not an easy decision, because any decision on Yukos, clearly, is difficult for authorities.  Yukos is such a sensitive nerve that doesn’t give authorities a second of peace.  With Bakhmina, however, it felt like they would release her sooner or later.  But this does not in any way give evidence that there will be any movement relating to the other defendants in the Yukos affair.

Lev Rubinshtein, writer:

Well, first of all, this is absolutely good news.  One can’t help but be pleased when a nursing mother is is allowed to go free.  Regardless of the reasoning used by those who made the decision.

Forgive me, but I don’t believe in any well-meaning humanitarian inclinations on the part of Russia’s leadership.  What can I do – they’ve set an example for themselves with countless base acts in such a way that I see some kind of dirty trick in everything, even an instance of pardon.

And even if it weren’t there: they could have released Svetlana earlier, without mentioning that she should have been imprisoned in the first place.

Because THEY don’t do anything especially nice for no reason, one is left guessing at what they have in mind and what kind of signal they are sending.  Not so much to the public, as to each other.

But in any case- all this fades before absolute joy: Svetlana Bakhmina is free.

Irina Yasina, chair of the Regional Journalism Club:

I heard about it already, and I’m glad.  Considering how many years we have worked to make this happen, you can’t call this a surprise.  That this finally happens is true joy.   Many people have worked for many years, and it finally sunk in for the authorities, thank God.  We will hope for their actions in the future.

translation by theotherrussia.org

The Year In Review: Whispering, We’ll Survive
December 27th, 2007
Natella Boltyanskaya
Yezhednevny Zhurnal

If we speak about feelings on the departing 2007 year, then for me they are such. Authority that’s shameful. Shameful for cynicism and pettiness, impudence and lies. Further still, the tendency to take revenge upon everyone deemed persona non grata is, in my opinion, categorical. Just don’t try to sing a song of “Oh, what a bad person … is.” There could be any name there. Bukovsky… Kasparov… Storchak… Khodorkovsky… Chervochkin… Gozman… Litvinenko… Arap… Anyone can compose this list at their own discretion; this list could be of any length.

I’ll recall the principle of lawfulness once more – you must be judged and condemned not based on who is extremely unsympathetic toward you, but for what you’ve done and only what you’ve done. No one doubts that the government is stronger than each of its citizens. Well, then – it’s indecent when the government demonstrates this to a specific person using the arms of its employees: look what we can do to you. The question isn’t about lawful retaliation for breaking such-and-such a law, but about the decision, taken at the top (where no one will ever say, even though everyone understands, that we’ve built a vertical [chain of command]). And the essence of the decision – we’ll detain, cripple, jail, kill you. Because we can do this. We can send over an instigator to a person, carrying out their civic right to a solitary picket. [Under Russian law, one person can demonstrate anywhere at any time without a permit, but an unregistered group of two or more can be shut down and arrested.] And this instigator will, without hesitation, explain why he’s been sent there.

Shameful for these authorities so much so, that enough about them already. Better yet, let’s talk about the society. About a certain number of people united under one nationality. And not about the mythical numbers of “encouragers” and “approvers”. So then, this certain number of people could be displeased with what’s happening in the country at the present moment. And it completely doesn’t mean that they’re enemies. They simply don’t agree. Like the pensioners, who once went into the streets didn’t agree, being against the monetization of their benefits. Thank God, that then we managed without clubs. Currently, the situation has reached a stalemate. The Russian citizen doesn’t have space to express her disagreement. You cannot vote differently, as everything was counted up long before your vote… Incidentally, this is about the authorities again by now, of which we’re shameful.

So then voting – doesn’t work. And all the other means of expressing disagreement [or dissent] can be equated with extremism or crushed without explanation in any way that’s commanded. An opposition organization doesn’t have space in a city of many millions, where any place with a room and more than 100 seats can be had by just about anyone for money? To what extent must these authorities sh.., excuse me, soil themselves, in front of the opposition, to deal with the dissenters in such a way?

Furthermore, my dear little bears and cubs, including the polar and koalas, help me understand: If the same number of OMON [Special Forces] simply preserved order at such a demonstration, and didn’t suppress it, what would be so terrifying about that? One gets the impression that these guys are instigating bloodshed themselves, considering that in the present day, the steam release valve is being shut time and time again. How much do you need to fear [Natalya] Morar, a journalist, to deport her by secret decree from the country (see above – to take revenge anyone deemed persona non grata). If there are so few of these dissenters [as the authorities claim], they why are they so pressured? Kasparov won’t muster the votes for the presidency? The let him lead an assembly and register his candidacy fairly. And since you won’t give him the chance to do it, does it mean you’re afraid he will gather [the votes]? There has not, is not, and won’t be an answer. It’s not the tsarist practice to give answers. It’s not a tsarist practice to obey the law. To hell with them, I’m talking about you and me! Almost every one of us is given the illusory opportunity to close up in our shells, turn off the damn idiot box and… earn money (as much as they permit), read books, run about the internet, as long as it isn’t fixed…

And if your apartment is robbed, then don’t go looking for justice, because the militsiya is catching dissenters, and it’s not up to catching thieves. And if a civil servant’s son or brother runs down your relative – forget it, there won’t be justice. Your place, citizens, is the state of a hedgehog that’s being threatened. Roll up into a ball, gather up everything you can within yourself, and lie there quietly. Don’t spring up! I personally know many people, who completely don’t like Garry Kimovich [Kasparov], but who go to these Dissenters’ Marches, because there is no such law to “not spring up.”

[…]

It’s time to make sense of the situation and take a constructive decision – all of us. Otherwise, we’ll be crushed one at a time.

I understand, that’s it’s easy for me to appeal for constructiveness to those, who have probably thought about it on their own. But there isn’t another way out. The direction that the whole country is moving in is abominable. And the society is starting to understand. Late, because a system of repression is already up and running. But it’s starting, as it should. True, you and I may not live to see those days, when this oil and imperial-hubris inflated bubble pops… But the borders are still open… And if you don’t like it, get out… But why does one need to leave from their country – their native land, you say?

Because you have been designated an enemy from the very highest rostrum. But what if they made a mistake at this rostrum? But they couldn’t be mistaken, since oil prices are out of this world. And when they collapse, the dissenters won’t be beaten to death one by one, as was Chervochkin, the National Bolshevik [activist]. By then [the authorities] will be giving the order to shoot them in public gathering sports. Is that what you’re waiting for? You think that there will be enough satiety during your time? You are wrong – it’s for THEIR time that there will be enough satiety, they aren’t thinking about you. You should be thinking of yourself, since the law can (theoretically) protect you – us. But they will now be making whatever laws they need… And here I am, not talking about the authorities again, for whom I’m yet again ashamed. This is about you and I, who likely had our last hurrah when NTV was shut down… And continue to have it every time that someone is killed, and we are quiet, such and such was thrown in the nuthouse, and we have our step-mother’s anniversary… Of course, perhaps those arrested, crippled, killed, and disappeared without a trace don’t worry us… The trouble is that every one of us is next in line. Just by chance walking down the street.

Today we are seeing a systematic and practically daily violation of the fundamental law of the Russian Federation. This law is being broken, as I understand it, with full backing and permission of the guarantor. Because if the guarantee is real, and not phony, it must punish and demonstrate what happens to transgressors at the first violation. But if the punishment and browbeating hasn’t happened even once, then it means that any law relating to you could be broken. Likely, it can be suffered if you take on the attitude of the hero in “The Suicide,” the [Nikolai] Erdman stage play: “God perish the thought. Do you really think we’re doing something against the revolution? We haven’t done a thing since the day it started. All we do is visit one another and talk about how hard life is. Because life is easier when we can say life is hard. For God’s sake, don’t deprive us of our last means of survival. Let us say that life is hard. Let us say it in a whisper, “Life is hard.” Comrades, I implore you on behalf of millions of people: Give us the right to whisper. You’ll be so busy constructing a new life that you’ll never even hear us. I guarantee it. We’ll live out our entire lives in a whisper.” (The play was written at the end of the 1920s.)

Translated by theotherrussia.org.