Zoya Svetova

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Feliksovna and the family name is Svetova.

Zoya Svetova
Зоя Светова
Born	17 March 1959  Moscow (Soviet Union)
Alma mater	Moscow State Linguistic University
Occupation	Human rights defender, journalist
Employer	mbkhmedia (–2021)
Spouse(s)	Viktor Dzyadko
Children	Filipp Dzyadko, Timofey Dzyadko, Tikhon Dzyadko, Anna Dzyadko
Parent(s)	Felix Svetov  Zoya Krakhmalnikova
Awards	Free Media Awards (2009) Diploma of the Andrei Sakharov Prize "For Journalism as a Deed" (2003, 2004) Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (2021)

Zoya Feliksovna Svetova (Russian: Зоя Феликсовна Светова; born March 17, 1959) is a Russian journalist and human rights defender, producer, author of the documentary novel Innocent Found Guilty (Russian: Признать невиновного виновным).^[1][2][3][4]

Biography

In 1982 she graduated from the Maurice Thorez Moscow State Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages.

In 2000–2002, she was an expert at the Soros Foundation on programmes related to the development of law, the judiciary and the topic of human rights in Russia.^[5][6]

In 2008–2016, she worked at the Public Monitoring Commission [ru] (PMC) of Moscow.^[7] In 2016, she was nominated to the Mordovian PMC, but was not included in its composition.^[8]

Work in the media

• 1991—1993 — Family and School [ru] magazine^[9][10]
• 1993—2001 – columnist for the Russkaya mysl [ru] newspaper^[9][10]
• 1994—1999 – assistant to the correspondent of the Moscow bureau Radio France^[10]
• 1999—2001 – assistant correspondent of the Moscow bureau of the Libération newspaper^[10]
• 2001—2003 – correspondent of the Man and Circumstances section of the Novye Izvestia newspaper^[10]
• 2002—2004 – representative in Moscow of the Reporters Without Borders organisation^[6]
• 2003—2004 – special correspondent of the policy department of the Russkiy Kurier daily newspaper^[10]
• 2004—2005 – editor of the department of internal policy of Russkiy Kurier^[10]
• since December 2009 – columnist for The New Times magazine^[11][10]

She published articles in the newspapers Kommersant, Russian Telegraph, Obshchaya Gazeta [ru], Novaya Gazeta, Moskovskiye Novosti, Ogoniok, Itogi, Yezhenedelny Zhurnal [ru], as well as in French-language publications: Ouest-France, France Soir, La Dépêche du Midi, Le quotidien (Luxembourg).^[9]

She worked as a producer on the France 2 TV channel.^[12]

Political position

In September 2014, she signed a statement from the December 12 Round Table demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.^[13] In November 2019, she signed a collective appeal in support of Gasan Gusejnov [Wikidata].^[14]

In September 2020, she signed a letter in support of protest actions in Belarus.^[15]

Bibliography

2011 — Innocent Found Guilty (Russian: Признать невиновного виновным) documentary novel.^[16]

Awards

• Laureate of the "Arbitrariness in the Law" journalism award in 2003 in the "Violation of individual rights nomination".^[17]
• Laureate of the National Press Prize of the Union of Journalists of the Russian Federation and Amnesty International for 2003 Human Rights and Strengthening Civil Society in Russia.^[16]
• Diploma of the Andrei Sakharov Prize For journalism as a deed [Wikidata] in 2003 and 2004.^[16]
• Winner of the 2009 Gerd Bucerius Prize.^[18]
• Winner of the Moscow Helsinki Group Human Rights Prize in 2010.^[19]
• Laureate of the publicistic prize Libmission 2018 in the nomination "For courage in upholding liberal values" for a series of publications on the portals MBH.media and Radio Liberty, dedicated to people who have been imprisoned.^[20]
• Chevalier (Knight) of the Legion of Honour (2020).^[16][21]

References

1. Nemtsova, Zhanna; Ostapchuk, Markian (June 16, 2017). "Activist Zoya Svetova shares concerns about human rights violations in Russia". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
2. "Zoya Svetova – Russia". Fritt Ord (organization). Retrieved February 15, 2021.
3. "Zoya Svetova". Front Line Defenders. March 1, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
4. "Zoya Svetova". openDemocracy. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
5. "Зоя Светова" [Zoya Svetova]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
6. "Russia: 'Deeply alarming' raid targets human rights activist and journalist Zoya Svetova". Amnesty International. February 28, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
7. Svetova, Zoya (November 2, 2016). "Зоя Светова: Ад на земле" [Zoya Svetova: Hell on Earth]. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Russian). Retrieved February 15, 2021.
8. "В Москве прошла акция протеста против разгрома ОНК" [A protest action against the defeat of the PMC took place in Moscow]. graniru.org (in Russian). October 27, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
9. Vaschenko, Vladimir (February 28, 2017). "У Световой искали следы Ходорковского" [They were looking for traces of Khodorkovsky at Svetova]. Gazeta.Ru (in Russian). Retrieved February 15, 2021.
10. "Зоя Светова: Чем страшна тюрьма в России?" [Zoya Svetova: Why is a prison in Russia so terrible?]. afisha.london (in Russian). Retrieved February 15, 2021.
11. "Зоя Светова" [Zoya Svetova]. Deutsche Welle (in Russian). August 14, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
12. "Search Underway at the Apartment of Open Russia's Zoya Svetova". khodorkovsky.com. Mikhail Khodorkovsky. February 28, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
13. "Резолюция Марша Мира 21 сентября" [Peace March Resolution 21 September]. Echo of Moscow (in Russian). September 16, 2014. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
14. "Письмо в защиту филолога Гусейнова: в России возрождают сталинские традиции травли" [Letter in defense of philologist Gusejnov: Stalinist traditions of persecution are being revived in Russia]. NEWSru.co.il (in Russian). October 10, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
15. ""Мы глубоко возмущены, что диалогу с обществом власть предпочитает насилие"" [“We are deeply indignant that the authorities prefer violence to dialogue with society”]. Echo of Moscow (in Russian). September 11, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
16. Svetova, Zoya (February 15, 2021). "Журналистку и правозащитницу Зою Светову наградили орденом Почетного легиона" [Journalist and human rights defender Zoya Svetova was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor]. Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved February 15, 2021.
17. ""Произвол В Законе"" ["Arbitrariness In The Law"]. Novaya Gazeta (in Russian). November 23, 2003. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
18. "Preisträger 2009" [Prize winner 2009]. ZEIT-Stiftung (in German). Retrieved February 15, 2021.
19. "Лауреаты премии Московской Хельсинкской группы в области защиты прав человека за 2010 год" [Winners of the 2010 Moscow Helsinki Group Human Rights Prize]. Moscow Helsinki Group (in Russian). Retrieved February 15, 2021.
20. Voronin, Ivan (May 31, 2018). "Либералы в нелиберальное время. Названы лауреаты премии "ЛибМиссия"" [Liberals in non-liberal times. LibMission winners announced]. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Russian). Retrieved February 15, 2021.
21. "Правозащитницу Зою Светову наградили французским орденом Почетного легиона" [Human rights defender Zoya Svetova was awarded the French Order of the Legion of Honour]. Kommersant (in Russian). February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.