2023-12-20 12:03:00
© Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images
In response to the opening of an unfounded criminal case against the famous Russian writer Grigori Chjartishvili – better known by his pseudonym Boris Akunin – in which he is accused of “spreading false information about the Russian Armed Forces” and “justifying terrorism” Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia director, said:
“The Russian authorities’ continued persecution of Boris Akunin and this unfounded criminal case exemplify Russia’s vindictive attitude against anyone who dares to express dissent. In a matter of days, the author’s books have stopped being on sale, a play based on his work has been withdrawn, and the police have searched the only publisher that continued to collaborate with him.
“All of these acts have been in retaliation for Boris Akunin’s public opposition to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine; The writer is not the only person who has suffered this type of campaign, but many others – including artists, performers, musicians and filmmakers – have found themselves persecuted and isolated from Russian cultural life simply for opposing the war.”
“These shameful charges must be dropped immediately and the campaign of denigration and persecution against cultural figures who oppose the war must end.”
Additional information
On December 18, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation announced the opening of a criminal case against Boris Akunin—who has resided outside Russia since 2014—accusing him of “justifying terrorism” (article 205.2 of the Criminal Code) and of “ deliberately disseminating false information about the Armed Forces” (article 207.3). A day earlier, Rosfinmonitoring, the Russian financial regulator, had included Boris Akunin on the list of “terrorists and extremists.”
After the charges were made known, the main bookstores in Moscow proceeded to remove Boris Akunin’s books from their shelves, while prominent digital platforms such as Wildberries and Litres almost completely eliminated his works. The Gubernsky Theater in Moscow has stopped performing “The Adventures of Fandorin,” Akunin’s play based on his saga of adventure novels.
On December 19, law enforcement officers searched the Zakharov publishing house—which owns the publishing rights to many of Boris Akunin’s books—and confiscated all copies found on the premises. Irina Bogat, director of the publishing house, has stated: “Obviously, it was because we were the only ones who did not withdraw Akunin’s books from sale.”
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