Igor Sutyagin: 'Your letters kept me going in prison'

Igor Sutyagin was freed from a Russian jail after 10 years in prison. Bernard Burgan is a passionate member of Amnesty International from Toulouse in France and writes letters on behalf of people at risk across the world. Bernard had written to Igor while he was in prison and this film shows the two men meeting for the first time.

Igor explains how he was arrested in Russia in October 2010 and was not released for 10 years. Bernard explains why he was moved to write letters to the authorities in Russia on Igor's behalf. President Vladimir Putin received Bernard's letters and many more from Amnesty International members demanding a retrial for Igor Sutyagin.

Igor also talks of the effect on him of receiving letters from Amnesty International members and how it enabled him to imaging life outside his prison. In July 2010 Igor was freed from prison in Russia and came to live in London, UK. Amnesty International arranged for Igor and Bernard to meet. Their meeting by the River Thames in London is included in the video.

Throughout the film there is some stylised footage of an anonymous letter writer. The video ends with an appeal to join the Letter Writing Marathon and link to the site:
www.amnesty.org/individuals-at-risk

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Prison
• jail
• russia
• spy
• letters
• activisim
• Igor Sutyagin
• spy swap
• appeal
• letter writting marathon
• prison
• london
• life
• meeting
• interview
• trial

[millertas]

Igor go to Toulouse. It is a very pretty city.

[MarkoKraguljac]

Can we see some dramatic footage and promotion of Bradley Manning's case? He has world's biggest criminal gang on his back.. helping him would really make a difference for the world and catalyze some important processes.