The defendant in the FBK donations case is not being allowed to use the library or call his wife while in pre-trial detention.

Anton Zhigalov, a resident of Kaliningrad (a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea), is not being allowed to use the library or call his wife while in pre-trial detention. He described this in a letter to OVD-Info lawyer Roman Morozov.

Zhigalov has been held in custody since October. He is accused of making seven donations to FBK totalling 2,100 rubles (approx. US$23).

Despite the investigator’s permission, detention centre staff are not allowing Zhigalov to call his wife. He also cannot use the library.

Anton Zhigalov has already experienced rights violations. After his arrest, his lawyer was not allowed into the temporary detention facility to visit, with staff demanding to see a warrant which, by law, was not required in this situation. In addition, despite direct instructions from the judge, the guards refused to leave the room during the review of materials and confidential communication between Morozov and Zhirikov, “to make sure they were not discussing a possible escape.”