Supporting Dima Litvinov and all of the Arctic 30

My brother, Dima Litvinov, a dual citizen of the United States and Sweden, is one of the Greenpeace activists now known as The Arctic 30. The Arctic 30 are 28 Greenpeace activists and two freelance reporters from 18 different countries that are imprisoned in Murmansk, Russia, awaiting trial for piracy since September 18^th, 2013. In Russia, as elsewhere in the world, the charge of piracy is very serious and carries up to 15 years in prison.

When I first heard about their detention, I initially thought that the Russian government would flex its power and try to send a message of deterrence to Greenpeace. It is not uncommon for activists to be jailed for several days or face another type of retaliation for their activism. As events have unfolded, however, it became increasingly clear that this was not just a stern warning but instead something more sinister, resembling the illegal detention of activists that used to occur frequently in Soviet Russia and is, sadly, a more common occurrence for Russian citizens in recent years.

Although Dima is the first family member of my generation to have been imprisoned by Russia for his beliefs, he is definitely not the first in our family line. Our father, Pavel Litvinov, was a Dissident in Soviet Russia, who strongly opposed many policies including the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Because of his activism, he was imprisoned and then exiled to Siberia, where he, my mother, and Dima lived and where I was born. In 1974, our family was exiled from the Soviet Union and was welcomed by the United States, where we have become naturalized citizens since 1980.

Dima’s grandfather on our mother’s side, Lev Kopelev, was an activist in the previous generation. After serving in the Russian army during World War II, our grandfather was imprisoned in the Gulag for ten years because he spoke out against the atrocities of the Red Army against German civilians. My grandfather’s ‘crime’ was to show pity for the Germans, espouse humanism, and question Soviet policy. I have a vivid memory of looking through old family pictures and wondering from where this grainy, black and white picture of Dima came. Of course, it was a picture of my grandfather as a young man. See both pictures below:

Dima Litvinov, 2010

Lev Kopelev, Dima's Grandfather, 1941

I could delve more into family history but the reason I am writing to you now is for Dima, my brother imprisoned in Murmansk for speaking out against Arctic drilling and climate change and who has fought for almost two and a half decades to protect our planet and its inhabitants. As one can see, Dima’s activism was a product of his nature and his nurture. Fighting for what is right is in his blood and his upbringing. Dima began his work with Greenpeace in Boston when he was 28 years old. It was not long, however, that Greenpeace realized Dima’s significant talents that includes his intelligence, charisma, and articulateness. These talents (along with his fluency in Russian) were what was needed in the ‘new Russia’ in the 1990’s that was opening up to the rest of the world. Therefore, he, his wife, and 3-year-old son, moved to Moscow where Dima became media director of Greenpeace International’s Russia Office. Since then, he has worked tirelessly on campaigns all around the world but with specific focus in Russia, to clean the planet as well as educate and inspire others. In the last 23 years, Dima and his family have lived in the US, Russia, and, finally in Sweden, raising 3 children, the youngest of whom is a minor who still lives at home.

My brother is an activist in all senses of the word. In recent years, my mother’s health has taken a turn for the worse, including a major stroke in the last year. Dima has come to Los Angeles to help me care for my mother; My mother, daughter, and I have lived here since 2004. In the Summer of 2010, my mother was terrifyingly close to death and was refusing medical help. I phoned Dima when he was on an action somewhere in France, asking him to come as soon as possible. He said, “So, you want me to leave this truck on the side of the road, figure out some way to get to the airport and be in Los Angeles on the first plane out”? My response was yes. He was there within 36 hours.

The reason I tell this story is that activism is about acting on something important and meaningful. Whether it is to protect and help the environment or his family, Dima can be counted on to do what needs to be done without complaint, without temerity, and with no thought for his own needs. When called to action, Dima is unwavering and steadfast.

I know that Dima is not the only person who truly cares and feels that it’s his duty to act. I recognize the other members of The Arctic 30 as those courageous people we all wish we could be. These activists risk their lives and make great sacrifices to make a difference in this world, deliver messages that need to be heard, and work diligently to make a change. Dima and the others are not pirates and they are not hooligans. They are activists and advocates for the protection of our natural world for future generations.

Please help me help us in our campaign to free my brother and the other 29 brave souls from wrongful imprisonment in Russia.

Supporting Dima Litvinov and all of the Arctic 30

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Some helpful links for Information

Friday, October 25, 2013

My father Pavel Litvinov's Opinion Piece in Washington Post

My Brother Dima Litvinov