Alexey Minyaylo
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Alexey Andreevich Minyaylo (Russian: Алексей Андреевич Миняйло; born 5 February 1985 in Moscow) is a Russian social entrepreneur and political activist. During the 2019 Moscow City Duma election he was a member of election team of Lyubov Sobol. Together with her, he went on a hunger strike in protest against non-admission to the election. On 2 August he was arrested on charges of participating in the "riots" on 27 July 2019. In 2022 Alexey have organized several of anti-war projects.
Aleksey was born in a family of graduates from the History Department of Moscow State University, although his father had to go into the fire guards so that the family could live in Moscow. Minyailo is an Orthodox Christian and was an altar boy in the church of St. Tatiana on Mokhovaya Street. He invited friends who rarely go to church to celebrate Easter together, helping them not to feel like strangers there.[1]
He graduated from the History Department of Moscow State University as did his parents, but refused to stay there for graduate study. Later he studied at the IEDC-Bled School of Management and he was supposed to defend a dissertation in 2019.
He worked as an editor in a business magazine and as a business development manager in an advertising agency. He participated in the creation of an adaptation programs for children from orphanages. He also introduced project teaching methods in Russian higher education.[2][3][4]
2019 Moscow City Duma election and imprisonment
During the 2019 Moscow City Duma election he helped Lyubov Sobol to train signature collectors, and after she went on a hunger strike, joined her. On the night of August 1, the Investigative Committee of Russia came to him with a house-check, and then detained him. On 2 August, on the 20th day of the hunger strike, he was arrested for two months on charges of involvement in the mass riots. Lyubov Sobol considers the arrest of Minyaylo to be a pressure on herself.[5][6] The charge was brought only in part 2 of article 212 of the Criminal Code (3–8 years imprisonment). Minyailo pleaded not guilty and pointed out that he had been in court together with Sobol (she was detained before the announced rally) for almost the entire day of July 27 and was detained on the way to Trubnaya Square.[7] The leaders of several well-known Russian charitable foundations spoke in support of Minyaylo.[8]
On August 15, an appeal was pending in court. The court refused to replace imprisonment with house arrest or bail. In his last word, Minyaylo said that he decided to end the hunger strike, just as Sobol did.[9]
On 17 September dozens Orthodox priests signed a public petition in defense of prisoners in the "Moscow case". In this petition Minyaylo was especially mentioned as "the Orthodox person who is actively involved in social and charitable work."[10]
On 24 September a number of well-known actors, directors, public figures and representatives of the charity sector signed an open letter to Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in support of Minyaylo.[11] Next day dozens of historians (including a corresponding member of Russian Academy of Science) signed an open letter demanding to stop the case of so-called mass riots. "We believe that Alexey Minyailo and the other defendants are innocent," the letter said.[12][13]
At the trial on September 26, Minyailo was released from custody without any other restrictions on freedom, although the investigator requested a house arrest. The judge noted that in the materials of the case against Minyailo there are no signs of mass riots.[14]