Jailed Russian Dissidents Seek Mass Amnesty in Letter to World Leaders

A group of 11 Russian political prisoners has issued an open letter urging world leaders, including negotiators in any future Russia-Ukraine peace talks, to make the mass release of detainees a central condition for a settlement. The signatories say more than 10,000 people are behind bars on political grounds or as civilian hostages from occupied Ukrainian territories.

Circulated on 4 July by outlets including Reuters and investigative site The Insider, the appeal demands an immediate “all-for-all” swap covering prisoners of war, Ukrainian civilians and Russian dissidents. The prisoners describe expanding repressive legislation in Russia since 2012, harsher sentences after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and deteriorating prison conditions, warning that many ill or elderly inmates may not survive without urgent action. They call on foreign governments and media to maintain pressure on the Kremlin and support parliamentary resolutions backing a broad amnesty.