OT (sort of) - Help Get Russian Youth Out of Psychiatric Institution

[Guest guest]

While people are thinking more than usual of helping others less

fortunate than themselves:

Russian disability activists acting on behalf of Katya Timochkina, an

18 year old child with cerebral palsy, are requesting that people

write the governor of Samara Region in Russia and let her leave a

psychiatric institution, where she is being kept against her will.

Katya has no psychiatric disabilities and has expressed a wish to get

an education (she has never received an education) and have a

successful career as a psychologist.

You can learn more about Katya at the English language blog, In

Solidarity with Katya Timochkina (http://katyat.wordpress.com). The

blog includes a link to a Russian-language interview on Youtube with

translation into English.

The simplest and most effective way of helping Katya is to write a

postal letter to the governor. Russian officials are required by law

to respond to each piece of written correspondence. Even a short,

carefully-written, personal letter on why Katya's fate is important

to you- without assuming a preachy or accusatory tone- would be very

powerful.

These letters are especially important now because in Russia's

current political climate it is increasingly difficult for community

activists, including disability activists, to operate. A regional

minister in Samara lodged a complaint to Russia's human rights

ombudsman that certain disability activists were expressing undue

interest in the fate of Katya! These very activists also happen to

serve on a government commission on inclusive education for children

with disabilities!

The governor's address is:

Vladimir Vladimirovich Artyakov, the Governor of Samara Region.

His address is:

Russia 443006,

Samara,

Molodogvardeiskaya Ulitsa, 210.

Postal letters with the sender's address and a request for a reply

bind the Governor to respond.

While an email does not require the governor to respond, it also

generate attention. Email the governor at governor@...

Katya's case has been covered several time in Izvestiya, one of the

top three newspapers in Russia and covered on national TV there. She

has the potential of becoming a symbol of Russian children with

disabilities who seek to live fulfilling lives of dignity, where they

can offer their gifts to the world and make a positive contribution.