Human rights defender and pensioner Natalya Filonova confirmed that she was included in the pardon list for March 8 but declined it. Filonova stated that she was visited by a lawyer in January and March, who inquired about her imprisonment conditions and informed her about the pardon. However, it remains unclear who hired the lawyer.
In her letter, the activist also mentioned that she had been sent to a punitive cell for 7 days. Additionally, the colony categorized her as 'extremist' based on certain letters from Ulan-Ude.
Reports about a list of women to be pardoned by Vladimir Putin began circulating in early March. Allegedly, it included 52 names, among them Natalya Filonova, journalist Maria Ponomareva, activist Olga Smirnova, and other political prisoners.
In August 2023, Filonova was sentenced to 2 years and 10 months in prison for assaulting the police during a rally against mobilization. The pensioner’s adopted son was placed in an orphanage, where he reportedly faced physical abuse.
