Address regarding the case of Andrey Yerofeev and Yury Samodurov

Currently another politically motivated trial of Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev’s epoch is coming to its end in Moscow. This process is held against the organizers of an art exhibition, entitled “Forbidden Art 2006” – Yury Samodurov and Andrey Yerofeev.

This process – is a continuation of a forcible takeover of Russian culture by clerical circles. The goal of the individuals, who initiated the charges, representatives of the ultra-nationalistic organizations and Moscow’s Patriarchy who joined the side of the prosecution, is to impose a strict and tight control over the use of symbols and images of religious origin.

We regret that the office of Moscow’s Prosecutor did not follow the recommendation of the Public Council of Moscow’s Prosecutor that asked not to support the state charges. Contrary to the Council’s suggestion the office of Moscow’s Prosecutor asked not only to recognize the guilt of a well-known fine-art expert Andrey Yerofeev and curator of exhibition projects and well-known human rights activist Yury Samodurov, but also called for their imprisonment.

Therefore, the Prosecutor’s office on behalf of the state has publicly declared that it still takes the side of religious radicals who aspire to impose an absolutely anti-constitutional spiritual censorship in our country. In fact, the use by artists of the biblical images, which includes social criticism, has a long history. It is important to mention that its persecution is associated with the darkest and gloomiest periods of the state’s reaction. The given process – is a trial against a branch of modern art. The charges were based on the testimonies of 200 hundred mobilized activists, majority of whom have not seen the exhibition, but nonetheless, were recognized by court as witnesses, as well as on the expertise of the witnesses who are fundamentally against modern art. From above mentioned we could see the biased approach of the prosecution’s side.

The given practice differs slightly from Iran’s totalitarian regime. The distinction is only in the moderate degree of punishment that is called for. However, in reality, all of these events stand in the same line as an order to kill the author Salman Rushdie.

We are convinced that this trial has already, by the fact of its existence, dishonored Russian justice system. In a modern European state that considers itself to be a law-based and democratic state no such proceedings can take place.

Thus, in case of a guilty verdict we are calling for an open condemnation of the Russian Federation as a state, where the freedom of creativity is equated to criminal crimes.

Currently the judge, who holds in her hands not only the destinies of two people, but also the future progress of the Russian culture for the years to come, has left for deliberation.

We understand how miserable is the statistics of acquittals in our country. However, we are hoping that the court will make its decision based on the principles of the Constitution of the Russian Federation that guarantees the freedom of creativity, art and self-expression.

We are hoping that the judge is a true Russian patriot and that she is not indifferent to the reputation of the state, under whose name she will be pronouncing the verdict.