A trans man in Russia is being detained in what Amnesty International describes as “inhuman and degrading conditions” after receiving a 12-year prison sentence for treason.
Harsh Sentence for Small Donation
Mark Kislitsyn, an LGBTQ+ activist from Moscow, was sentenced in 2023 by the Moscow City Court for transferring ₽865 (approximately $10 USD) to a Ukrainian bank account. Authorities claim the account was raising funds for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
His sentencing comes amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, which began with a full-scale invasion in 2022. Since then, reports estimate that around 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers have lost their lives.
Prior to his arrest for the donation, Kislitsyn had been detained and fined in 2022 for protesting the invasion and posting critical comments on social media.
Punished for Activism
Amnesty International is calling for Kislitsyn’s release, highlighting that he is being held in a women’s penal colony—IK-9 in Novosibirsk, Western Siberia—despite being a transgender man. The organisation claims he has been subjected to poor living conditions, placed in solitary confinement frequently, forced to wear women’s clothing, and denied access to gender-affirming medical care, including masculinising hormone therapy.
Natalia Prilutskaya, a Russia researcher for Amnesty International, criticised the sentence:
“Imprisoning Mark Kislitsyn in a penal colony on ‘treason’ charges for sending US$10 to an account in Ukraine defies common sense.
The real aim of this prosecution is not protecting state security but punishing a committed human rights activist for his anti-war position.
His relentless persecution and ill-treatment, including denial of the medical care he needs as a transgender man and prolonged arbitrary periods in a punishment cell – mostly in solitary confinement – proves this. We demand Mark Kislitsyn’s immediate release and an end to the persecution of all anti-war activists in Russia.”
Unwavering in His Beliefs
Despite the harsh treatment, Kislitsyn remains defiant. In a letter from prison, he wrote:
“Those who are trying to intimidate me… can do me a little harm, but no matter what they do, they cannot make me renounce my beliefs, lose my sense of belonging to my country or even ruin my mood.”
He also expressed his hope for Russia, saying he wants it to be “a home – a home, not a prison.”
Threats and Abuse in Custody
Concerns for Kislitsyn’s safety have grown, with reports suggesting he has faced direct threats from prison officials. Yan Dvorkin, head of the Russian trans and non-binary support group Centre T, spoke to independent Russian-language publication Mediazona in January, revealing disturbing statements made to Kislitsyn.
“The administration has said things like, ‘First you’re a liberal, then a f****t, and next you’ll sell your motherland,’ and ‘We’ll make you the next (deceased Russian opposition leader Alexei) Navalny.’
We, of course, see this as a direct threat to his health and safety.”
Dvorkin also shared insights into Kislitsyn’s character, describing his dedication to helping others:
“Mark took in people who were left on the street and needed help, sleeping on the floor himself and living like that for weeks until people found work. Or he would travel across Moscow to bring food or clean the flat of someone who was severely depressed. He got involved in fundraising for people who needed help; always tried to support others.”
With mounting concerns over his treatment, Amnesty International and human rights activists continue to push for his release, calling attention to the broader repression of anti-war voices in Russia.
