Russian activist Polina Oleinikova held an anti-war picket in the Syrian capital Damascus. She urges not to forget that the war continues in the country with the participation of the Russian army, and war crimes continue to occur.
According to Oleinikova, Russian servicemen may be involved in war crimes in Syria. The activist demanded “not to be silent about them just as you are not silent about these crimes in Ukraine.”
Polina Oleinikova is the wife of eco-activist Arshak Makichyan. In Russia, he was an activist in the environmental movement Firdays for Future, which advocates the fight against global warming. After the beginning of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, he repeatedly spoke out against the war and condemned the policy of the Russian authorities. In October 2022, Makichyan and his relatives were deprived of Russian citizenship in violation of the law (Russian citizenship was Makichyan’s only).
Oleinikova spoke out against police brutality in Russia. She pasted leaflets on the doors of police stations with the text “There were repressions here” and the names of those who were illegally detained in these police departments. The court sentenced her to compulsory work. After that, the family left Russia.
