Born in 2017 as the student journal of the Moscow campus of the Higher School of Economics, DOXA quickly outgrew its original mission to become the voice of Russian youth and then one of the most important oppositional outlets. On 14 April 2021, its offices were raided by the Russian police.
Its four now-former editors — Natalia Tyshkevich, Vladimir Metyolkin, Armen Aramyan, and Alla Gutnikova —were charged with “involving minors in committing actions that pose a threat to their life.” Their crime was posting a 3-minute video expressing support for students threatened with expulsion for participating in anti-government protests.
Natalia, Alla, Vladimir, and Armen were put on pretrial house arrest. For almost a year now, they have only been able to leave their houses between the hours of 8 AM and 10 AM. They have also been prohibited from using the Internet. These measures have not only disrupted their lives and caused serious psychological strain, but also effectively put an end to their studies and research.
The final hearings for their case will conclude in the next seven days.
All four of them face up to 3 years in prison.
The DOXA case is part of the wave of intimidation and repressions against scholars, students, and free thought in general inflicted by the Russian government over the past years. The attack on DOXA is an attack on education and the values that should guide educational institutions. It is an attack not against a group of students, but against the country’s future.
Natalia, Vladimir, Alla, and Armen represent an entire generation of young people who want a democratic and anti-imperialist Russia and a peaceful world and they are persecuted for their values. Through acts like this one, the government is trying to scare younger generations and force them into compliance with authoritarian and imperialist politics.
We demand that the charges against Natalia Tyshkevich, Vladimir Metyolkin, Armen Aramyan, and Alla Gutnikova be immediately dropped and that all four be released, and we express our wholehearted support for their actions.
We are all DOXA.
To sign this letter in solidarity with DOXA, click here.
