FREE KHACHATURYAN SISTERS !

Three Russian sisters, Krestina (19 y.o.), Angelina (18 y.o.) and Maria (17 y.o.) face up to 20 years in prison for stabbing their father to death as self-defense. Mykhail Khachaturyan. was known to be a family tyrant, an alleged drug dealer and an influential mafioso who had sexually assaulted, raped, and battered his teenage daughters for years and held them nearly captive in the house. Russian legal system, including police and social services, did not help Khachaturyan sisters, despite recurring evidence, neighbors and other family members reports who had witnessed or even themselves suffered from continuous Khachaturyan’s violence and abuse.

Domestic violence has been decriminalized in Russia two years ago, and currently, there are no legal mechanisms of victims’ protection in the country. Often self-defense is all that is left for victims to survive. While earlier the sisters were released from custody on a judge’s order, on June 14 their crime was requalified as “premeditated murder committed by a group of people”. This can carry up to 20 years in prison for two older sisters and up to 10 years for younger Maria. 

Criminal, psychiatric and medical experts advised the Russian Investigative Committee that all the murder charges should be dropped and the case should be then reclassified as self-defense. Sisters need immediate psychological support and safe environment instead of another round of suffering in the Russian prison. 

We think that it is crucial to make the case of Khachaturyan sisters globally known and demand justice for domestic violence survivors. Supporting Khachaturyan sisters means supporting all those suffering from repeated domestic abuse in the country without no protection and support from the civil society and legal system. 

Please help spread the word and join actions of solidarity. 

Freedom to Khachaturyan sisters !!


Case info: https://www.thesun.co.uk/…/three-sisters-face-prison-russi…/

https://meduza.io/…/they-believed-they-could-only-depend-on…

Group of International Solidarity: https://www.facebook.com/groups/382706789023307/?hc_location=group


Actions in different cities on 24 June in front of the Russian embassies: (see updates for actions in the group above)

Brussels: https://www.facebook.com/events/469796410421816/

London: https://www.facebook.com/events/344896162855874/

Warsaw: https://www.facebook.com/events/2114112185554402/

Berlin: https://www.facebook.com/events/1318163175008113/

New York: https://www.facebook.com/events/2388696561417938/

Toronto: https://www.facebook.com/events/453996635443505/