Jailed Russian journalist Ivan Safronov’s mother and sister visit him for first time in three years
The mother and sister of Russian journalist Ivan Safronov, who’s serving a 22-year sentence on charges of state treason, reportedly visited him for the first time in three years. The visit lasted three days, according to his sister, Irina Safronova, who spoke to a Telegram channel run by Ivan’s supporters.
According to Safronova, her brother looked like he was doing well. “If you ignore the whole ‘entourage,’ he hasn’t changed,” she said.
Ivan is under no illusions. He jokes just like he used to — he’s got that loose tongue. Is he resentful? Yes, but it’s more because time is passing by and he could have used it for something else. But at the same time, he’s not wallowing in self-pity; he’s thinking about how to make good use of his time.
Safronov told his family members that there are 60 people in his prison unit. “The bulk of them are young guys with no education who are in there for drugs,” his sister said. “Ivan is practically teaching them to write letters. They ask him about books, then they go read. He talks to everybody. There’s an old guy he looks after because his health is failing.”
