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Transgender man and activist Mark Kislitsyn, who is serving a sentence in a case over donating to a Ukrainian account, has once again been placed in a punishment isolation cell. This was reported by his support group.

Kislitsyn spent ten days in the isolation cell. According to the support group, the activist was placed there during the elections held from 12 to 14 September. On the eve of the vote, he managed to report that “increased restrictions are planned for the weekend.”

Since August 2024, the activist has been held in Penal Colony No. 9 for women in Novosibirsk, a major city in Siberia. The court sent him to this colony, citing his “female genetic sex.” The institution refused to provide hormone replacement therapy medications and forced Kislitsyn to wear women’s clothing; colony staff also address him by his deadname.

The support group notes that the activist is sent to the isolation cell on days that coincide with public holidays and “politically significant dates in the country.” For example, he was sent to isolation over the New Year and the following public holidays (from 26 December to 10 January); then on Defender of the Fatherland Day, the anniversary of the start of the invasion of Ukraine, and International Women’s Day (from 3 February to 17 March); his next period in isolation fell on Victory Day, and another on Russia Day.

  • Kislitsyn was arrested in Moscow in July 2023 on charges of state treason (Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code). He has been in custody ever since. The grounds for the prosecution were a transfer of 865 roubles (about US$9) to Ukraine, which the activist made on the night of 25 February 2022. He later said he sent the money “for humanitarian reasons.” The defence pointed out that the prosecution had not provided any evidence of how the funds were used. In December 2023, the court sentenced Kislitsyn to 12 years in a general regime colony and a fine of 200,000 roubles (about US$2,250).