a few things about russia.
1st) doping is state organized. This is a well known, wide-spread problem. In her case, she was taking cannabis as a pain killer due to professional injuries. Cannabis prescribed and known about in both russia and the us. Maybe she left them in her bag by accident, maybe not. I reject the validity and legitimacy of destroying someone for cannabis possession.
2nd) laws are deliberately construed in such a way, that it is simply impossible to be a law-abiding citizen. If the state wants you in prison, you will go to prison. Staying out of prison is a matter of a combination of luck, wide-spread corruption and being completely harmless to the state-authorities. Just to remind all of you, since 24th of February - the invasion of Ukraine - 16412 russians have been arrested for anti-war demonstrations or were sweeped up because they were too close to the demonstration*. Many of those have been arrested simply for holding up a sign, some have even been arrested for holding up an empty sign!
3rd) Russia has prisoners of their own who they want to get back, for whatever reasons. This girl is viewed as political currency. Nothing more than an abduction in attempt to free some less than morally pure people.
4th) Russian prison is absolute hell on earth and you should not forget that fsb agents or police agents are not above torture, false testimonies and placement of any narcotics if it so suits them.
Maybe some of you who think she shouldnt have done the crime if she can't do the time, are right. Me personally, i find that sentence absolutely sickening. Especially to see this kind of disgusting brand of victim blaming and narrow-minded conformism over the backs of those who can't defend themselves on the forum created by howard marks and neville schoenmaker, who have both been on the receiving end of this state violence. It is a sad day, when cannabis related convictees can count on more sympathy from the us government than from the users of this forum!
since russians get arrested for even looking like they might be demonstrating. protest has evolved a little bit. This sign says "Don't be silent. "
I spent 7 years in Federal Prison for marijuana cultivation ( 1200 clones inside ) and 5 years supervised release, a 3- 5 Million Dollar Fine which was waived. I spent from 1997-2009 in the clutches of the feds. Mandatory Minimum 10-Life I pled guilty to. I gave my partner 1000 cones to put on his farm 150 miles away, and he got busted 3 days later, and the feds/FBI got him to rat me out, and they came to a rented house he had rented in his name that I was occupying, and found about 700 more. I got charged for manufacturing all of them, and he got no jail time. In 1989 I got 15 months felony conviction for 7 grams of weed. This was all in Kentucky. Come to Kentucky on Vacation, and leave on Probation.