Founder of the Save Our Seas Foundation wins NOGI Distinguished Service Award

His Excellency Abdulmohsen Abdulmalik Al-Sheikh, Founder of the Save Our Seas Foundation, has been honoured for his conservation work by the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences with the presentation of its 2023 NOGI Distinguished Service Award

Grant and Award Announcement

SAVE OUR SEAS FOUNDATION

 

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THE SAVE OUR SEAS FOUNDATION FOUNDER HAS A RARE ENCOUNTER WITH A MOTHER AND CALF PAIR OF HUMPBACK WHALES.

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CREDIT: PHOTO © LUKE SADDLER

The 20th anniversary year of the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) has given many cause for reflection, not least its Founder, His Excellency Abdulmohsen Al-Sheikh. And it is in this reflection that His Excellency has expressed how supporting two decades of shark science, conservation and education has been his way of giving thanks. The SOSF has given His Excellency, whose love for the ocean has deepened over thousands of dives and many hours spent in the company of sharks and rays, a tangible means of giving back to the natural world for the incredible joy it has given him. It is fitting, then, that in this same auspicious anniversary year, His Excellency’s work has been recognised by the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences with the presentation of its prestigious NOGI Distinguished Service Award.

 

His Excellency grew up in the Arabian desert, a vast sea of sand that makes a life lived in love with the ocean seem unlikely. But an introduction to the technicolour reefs of the Red Sea changed the course of his life; a first encounter with a grey reef shark set the compass in the direction that would become his life’s mission. Countless underwater hours later, His Excellency founded the Geneva-based SOSF in 2003 to help address the growing conservation issues he had witnessed at first hand. At the time, sharks were still low on the list for funding and attention, but the presentation of a single patrol boat to conservation officials at Cocos Island in the Pacific Ocean established a means of enforcing conservation measures that has had lasting impact. Since then, the SOSF has grown to fund 482 marine conservation projects in 91 countries.

 

The vision of the SOSF remains one of sustainability for oceans and its key focus has always been on highly threatened sharks and rays and the historically under-funded efforts to research and protect them. His Excellency’s vision has been one of financial support to the experts who have dedicated their lives to sharks and rays through scientific research, applied conservation projects and education initiatives. The impact of this vision, which now encompasses financial, scientific, practical and communications support, has been immense; SOSF project leaders have researched more than 258 species and described 14 new species, helped list 140 species on the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to regulate 90% of the global fin trade, and published 567 papers.

  

2023 NOGI Award for Distinguished Excellence awarded to His Excellency Abdulmohsen Abdulmalik Al-Sheikh. 

CREDIT

James Lea | © Save Our Seas Foundation

Over the past two decades, the SOSF has launched scientific careers and guided conservation policy. In doing so, it has helped shift public perceptions and build appreciation for the ecological importance of misunderstood species. In a sector where non-profits often lose steam, it has steadied support by establishing long-term centres and funding key long-term partner organisations. The SOSF funds three permanent centres that together have reached 50 000 learners. The SOSF Shark Education Centre in South Africa connects the public to the ocean through experiential education programmes. Research conducted at the SOSF D’Arros Research Centre, Seychelles, helped create the D’Arros Marine Protected Area. Seychelles has now achieved more than 30% protection of its territorial waters, exceeding United Nations targets. The Shark Research Center in the USA made history when Professor Mahmood Shivji and colleagues sequenced the white shark genome. They have since sequenced genomes for great hammerhead and shortfin mako sharks, breakthroughs that help manage these imperilled species.

 

But leadership really means vision and guidance. And it is His Excellency’s unrelenting gaze to the future that drives the direction of the SOSF. ‘We must nurture a new generation of scientists, conservationists, storytellers and educators,’ His Excellency maintains. ‘Their support is essential to the longevity of the good work taking place across our oceans and the strides we have already made.’ Taking a ‘risk’ on emerging researchers, developing nations and under-represented species has injected new energy and seen growth in the number and diversity of project leaders, project areas and innovative ideas. The NOGI Distinguished Service Award therefore reflects the dedication of one person who is steeped in the belief in a network of other equally dedicated individuals fighting for the world’s oceans.

His Excellency Abdulmohsen Abdulmalik Al-Sheikh dives with an Endangered hammerhead shark.

CREDIT

Photo © Matthew During

About the Save Our Seas Foundation

Founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2003, the Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) is a philanthropic organisation whose ultimate goal is to create a legacy of securing the health and sustainability of our oceans, and the communities that depend on them, for generations to come.

 

Its support for research, conservation and education projects worldwide focuses on endangered sharks, rays and skates. Three permanent SOSF research and education centres reinforce its actions in Seychelles, South Africa and the USA.

Much more than waste: Tiny vesicles exchange genetic information between cells in the sea

Extracellular vesicles play a much greater role in horizontal gene transfer in the ocean than previously assumed

Peer-Reviewed Publication

MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR MARINE MICROBIOLOGY

 

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FOR THIS STUDY, THE RESEARCHERS FROM THE MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE IN BREMEN ALSO COLLECTED WATER SAMPLES OFF THE NORTH SEA ISLAND OF HELGOLAND.

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CREDIT: SILVIA VIDAL / MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR MARINE MICROBIOLOGY

There is a lively exchange of genetic information between the numerous microorganisms in the oceans. This so-called horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is crucial for the evolution of many organisms and is, for example, also the most important mechanism for the spread of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Until now, it was assumed that direct contacts between cells, free DNA or viruses were primarily responsible for the exchange of genes. A study led by Susanne Erdmann from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen now shows that so-called extracellular vesicles are also very important for the transfer of genetic information in the sea and thus for the life of its smallest inhabitants.

Viruses, GTAs, EVs: tiny and numerous

Most viruses are tiny. Up to 10 million of them can be found in every drop of seawater. They can not only pack up their own genetic material (their genome), but also parts of their host's DNA – i.e. the DNA of the organism they have infected – and transport it into other cells.

Studying viruses is challenging. Seawater samples have to be filtered through filters with a pore size of only 0.2 µm (which is about 300 times less than the thickness of a human hair) to separate the viruses from the cells. In addition to viruses, these filtered samples also contain so-called gene transfer agents (GTAs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs). GTAs are virus-like particles that exclusively package host DNA, and EVs are small vesicles enveloped by a membrane that detach from the cell surface of the host. These EVs can contain a variety of molecules. In addition to enzymes, nutrients and RNA, they often transport fragments of DNA.

EVs are prolific transporters of genetic material

Erdmann and her team have now shown that, other than previously assumed, there is a lot of host DNA in the filtered seawater samples that is not transported by viruses. Proving this was extremely complicated. “After sequencing, i.e. reading out the host DNA, we can no longer recognize how it got into our sample,” explains Erdmann, head of the Max Planck Research Group Archaea Virology at the Max Planck Institute in Bremen. “There is no feature to assign a sequence to a specific transport mechanism.” To solve this problem, the researchers used a trick. In a first step, they assigned each DNA sequence to a host from which it originally stems. Then they determined a main transport mechanism for each host as far as possible – i.e. by viruses, GTAs or EVs. This enabled them to assign a potential transport mechanism to a specific DNA sequence. “The result was surprising: Apparently, a large proportion of the DNA was not transported via classical routes, but via extracellular vesicles,” says Erdmann.

So much more than waste – in the ocean and beyond

“Extracellular vesicles were long regarded as cellular waste. Only in the last fifteen years scientists were able to show their various functions for the cell. Our study clearly highlights the fundamental role that EVs play for the exchange of genetic material between cells,“ explains Dominik Lücking, PhD student in Erdmanns group and first author of the study, which has now been published in the journal ISME Communications. Thus, the authors suggest to change terminology: „Traditionally, we are talking of a virome, a metagenome enriched with viruses, when extracting and sequencing the DNA from the 0.2 µm fraction”, says Lücking. „However, that way we are missing out on the variety of the other, non-virus-like particles in this fraction, such as EVs. Thus, we suggest to call this fraction ‘protected extracellular DNA’, or peDNA.”

The study presented here lays the foundation for future research on peDNA across all ecosystems, in the ocean and beyond. “The new nomenclature will enable us to talk more clearly about the mechanisms and processes not covered by the term virome,” says Erdmann. Future research can use this study as a guideline to assess the role of extracellular vesicles in other environments, such as soil and freshwater systems or the human gut. „In view of the significance of horizontal gene transfer in many ecosystems, we are very sure that there are quite a few more surprises on the way ahead of us,“ Erdmann concludes.

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JOURNAL

ISME Communications

DOI

10.1038/s43705-023-00317-6 

ARTICLE TITLE

Extracellular vesicles are the main contributor to the non-viral protected extracellular sequence space

 

Microplastics in soil: Tomography with neutrons and X-rays shows where particles are deposited

Peer-Reviewed Publication

HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM BERLIN FÜR MATERIALIEN UND ENERGIE

 

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A SAMPLE OF BEELITZ SANDY SOIL CONTAINING FRAGMENTS OF THIN POLYETHYLENE FILM (PET) WAS ANALYSED HERE. SUCH FILMS ARE USED IN ASPARAGUS CULTIVATION. THE NEUTRON TOMOGRAPHY (IN SHADES OF GREY) SHOWS WHERE THE PET FRAGMENTS ARE LOCATED. X-RAY TOMOGRAPHY OF THE SAMPLE (OCHRE) REVEALS THE SOIL STRUCTURE: SUPERIMPOSED ON THE NEUTRON TOMOGRAPHY, THE PET PARTICLES (IN BLUE) CONTAINED THEREIN BECOME VISIBLE.

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CREDIT: C. TÖTZKE / HZB / UNI POTSDAM

It is a real problem: Microplastic particles are everywhere. Now a team from the University of Potsdam and HZB has developed a method that allows it for the first time to precisely localise microplastic particles in the soil. The 3D tomographies show where the particles are deposited and how structures in the soil are changed. The method was validated on prepared samples. The team used a special instrument at the neutron source of the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble to carry out neutron and X-ray analyses simultaneously. 

Microplastic particles are a major environmental pollutant today. Road traffic accounts for a particularly large proportion: in Germany alone, tyre wear is said to generate around one hundred thousand tonnes of microplastics every year, in addition to particles from astroturf, cosmetics, washing powders, clothing, disposable masks, plastic bags and other waste that end up in nature. Microplastic particles can now be found everywhere. But what happens to these particles in different soils? Do they break up into smaller and smaller pieces and how are they relocated and transported, changing the structures in the soil?

Some of these questions are already being analysed: A soil sample is floated in a heavy salt solution, whereupon the individual components separate according to density: Plastic and organic particles float to the top, while mineral particles sink. The mixture of organic material and plastic particles is then treated with hydrogen peroxide, for example, whereby the organic components decompose and the microplastic particles should remain. Although this method makes it possible to determine the quantity and type of microplastic in a soil sample, information is lost as to where exactly these particles accumulate in the soil and whether they change any structures in the soil. 

3D tomography with neutrons and X-rays

In their new study, Prof Sascha Oswald (University of Potsdam) and Dr Christian Tötzke (University of Potsdam and HZB) have now presented a method to answer these questions. They worked closely with the team led by Dr Nikolay Kardjilov, HZB, whose expertise went into setting up a unique instrument at the Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble: there, samples can be analysed with neutrons and X-rays to create 3D tomographies simultaneously, i.e. without altering the sample. While neutrons visualise organic and synthetic particles, X-ray tomography shows the mineral particles and the structure they form.

Method tested on prepared soil samples

To test the method, Tötzke prepared a series of soil samples from sand, organic components such as peat or charcoal and artificial microplastic particles. In a further series of measurements, he investigated how the roots of fast-growing lupins penetrate the soil samples and how they react to the presence of microplastics.

In the neutron tomograms, the microplastic particles are clearly identified, as can some of the organic components. X-ray tomography, on the other hand, provides an insight into the arrangement of the sand grains, whereas the organic and plastic particles are shown as diffuse voids. When superimposed, a complete image of the soil sample is obtained. This allows the scientists to estimate the size and shape of the microplastic particles, as well as the changes to the soil structure caused by the embedded microplastics. 

"This method is quite complex, but it makes it possible for the first time to investigate where microplastic particles are deposited and how they change the soil and its structure," explains Tötzke. He also analysed sandy soil from a field near Beelitz, a typical asparagus-growing area in Brandenburg near Berlin, into which he mixed pieces of so called mulch film, a very thin plastic film used to protect the plants. In “real life” farming it is usually not possible to remove this film after use completely. Remaining film residues are then carried into deeper soil layers during ploughing "We were able to show that fragments of such films can change the water flow in the soil. Microplastic fibres, on the other hand, created small cracks in the soil matrix," says Tötzke. It is not yet possible to predict how this will affect the soil’s hydraulic properties, for example its ability to store water. "As droughts and heavy rainfall become more likely with climate change, it is urgent to answer these questions. We now need to investigate this systematically," says Tötzke.

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JOURNAL

Science of The Total Environment

DOI

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167927 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Non-invasive 3D analysis of microplastic particles in sandy soil — Exploring feasible options and capabilities

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

9-Nov-2023

 

NASA’s Hubble measures the size of the nearest transiting Earth-sized planet

Peer-Reviewed Publication

NASA/GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER

 

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THIS IS AN ARTIST'S CONCEPT OF THE NEARBY EXOPLANET LTT 1445AC, WHICH IS THE SIZE OF EARTH. THE PLANET ORBITS A RED DWARF STAR. THE STAR IS IN A TRIPLE SYSTEM, WITH TWO CLOSELY ORBITING RED DWARFS SEEN AT UPPER RIGHT. THE BLACK DOT IN FRONT OF THE BRIGHT LIGHT-RED SPHERE AT IMAGE CENTER IS PLANET LTT 1445AC TRANSITING THE FACE OF THE STAR. THE PLANET HAS A SURFACE TEMPERATURE OF ROUGHLY 500 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. IN THE FOREGROUND AT LOWER LEFT IS ANOTHER PLANET IN THE SYSTEM, LTT 1445AB. THE VIEW IS FROM 22 LIGHT-YEARS AWAY, LOOKING BACK TOWARD OUR SUN, WHICH IS THE BRIGHT DOT AT LOWER RIGHT. SOME OF THE BACKGROUND STARS ARE PART OF THE CONSTELLATION BOÖTES.

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CREDIT: NASA, ESA, LEAH HUSTAK (STSCI)

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has measured the size of the nearest Earth-sized exoplanet that passes across the face of a neighboring star. This alignment, called a transit, opens the door to follow-on studies to see what kind of atmosphere, if any, the rocky world might have.

The diminutive planet, LTT 1445Ac, was first discovered by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in 2022. But the geometry of the planet's orbital plane relative to its star as seen from Earth was uncertain because TESS does not have the required optical resolution. This means the detection could have been a so-called grazing transit, where a planet only skims across a small portion of the parent star's disk. This would yield an inaccurate lower limit of the planet's diameter.

"There was a chance that this system has an unlucky geometry and if that's the case, we wouldn't measure the right size. But with Hubble's capabilities we nailed its diameter," said Emily Pass of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Hubble observations show that the planet makes a normal transit fully across the star's disk, yielding a true size of only 1.07 times Earth's diameter. This means the planet is a rocky world, like Earth, with approximately the same surface gravity. But at a surface temperature of roughly 500 degrees Fahrenheit, it is too hot for life as we know it.

The planet orbits the star LTT 1445A, which is part of a triple system of three red dwarf stars that is 22 light-years away in the constellation Eridanus. The star has two other reported planets that are larger than LTT 1445Ac. A tight pair of two other dwarf stars, LTT 1445B and C, lies about 3 billion miles away from LTT 1445A, also resolved by Hubble. The alignment of the three stars and the edge-on orbit of the BC pair suggests that everything in the system is co-planar, including the known planets.  

"Transiting planets are exciting since we can characterize their atmospheres with spectroscopy, not only with Hubble but also with the James Webb Space Telescope. Our measurement is important because it tells us that this is likely a very nearby terrestrial planet. We are looking forward to follow-on observations that will allow us to better understand the diversity of planets around other stars," said Pass.

This research has been accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, in Washington, D.C.

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JOURNAL

The Astronomical Journal

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

HST/WFC3 Light Curve Supports a Terrestrial Composition for the Closest Exoplanet to Transit an M Dwarf

Fishing chimpanzees found to enjoy termites as a seasonal treat

 WAIT, WHAT?! THEY FISH, THAT'S TOOL MAKING

Seasonal rain and termite dispersal flights make protein-rich termites vulnerable to fishing chimpanzees

Peer-Reviewed Publication

FRONTIERS

 

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CHIMP FISHING FOR TERMITES

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CREDIT: SETH PHILLIPS

The discovery that chimpanzees use tools to fish for termites revolutionized our understanding of their abilities — but we still don’t have crucial context to help us understand termite fishing and chimpanzee minds. Are chimpanzees fishing for a seasonal treat or trying their luck?

Researchers based at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) and University College London (UCL) investigated the relationship between termite availability and chimpanzee fishing. They found that termites are most available early in the wet season. Although other foods are abundant at that time, chimpanzees choose to termite fish then.  

“I believe these results set up an interesting hypothesis about wild chimpanzee foraging cognition,” said Dr Vicky Oelze, UCSC, senior author of the study in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. “Though we can never read a chimpanzee’s thoughts, we can perhaps start to get an idea of their expectations of resource availability by analyzing the instances in which they arrive at termite mounds and investigate them for fishing viability.”

Termite treats

Termites are a key source of nutrients for chimpanzees — but the species chimpanzees prefer live deep within fortress-like mounds. However, some termites will disperse to start a new colony elsewhere, leaving the mound via flight holes the chimpanzees exploit for termite fishing. In some places, chimpanzees fish all year: in others, fishing is seasonal.

Understanding termite availability is important to understanding the variation in chimpanzee use of fishing tools. Does tool use vary between chimpanzee populations because the opportunities are different, because needs are different, or because tool use is unlikely to be invented or maintained? To understand the predators, we need to understand the prey.

The scientists focused on Issa Valley, Tanzania, which has very distinct wet and dry seasons. The researchers collected years of meteorological data and camera trap footage of 13 mounds to map the dispersals and predation of termites across time. They also carried out termite-fishing trials at 14 mounds between 2018 and 2022, copying chimpanzee tools and techniques.

“When I first visited the Issa Valley, I quickly learned that it was more difficult to termite fish than I had expected,” said Seth Phillips, UCSC, corresponding author. “It alerted me to the idea that effective foraging for these termite prey might be more complicated than people commonly understand it.”

Termites on the menu

Of 1,924 attempts at termite fishing, 363 extracted termites. The scientists found that they were much more likely to be able to extract termites as rainfall increased — until 200mm of rain had fallen. Then the proportion of successful trials dropped. Most termite mounds were most active between 50-200mm of cumulative rainfall. Dispersal flights only took place in the wet season and stopped almost completely after 400mm of rainfall.

“We are currently reviewing camera trap footage of the chimpanzee behaviors at these mounds,” said Phillips. “We want to know how chimps adapt their searching behavior according to seasonal changes. For instance, do they investigate termite mounds directly after rainfall after a long dry spell? This data could say something interesting about their foraging cognition as related to tool-use.”

Chimpanzees were among the most frequently recorded predators at termite mounds during dispersal flights and often arrived carrying a tool. At this time of year in Issa Valley, other food is available: the chimpanzees use tools to termite fish because they can, not because they need to.

Gone fishing

Although some chimpanzee communities exploit termites all year, including at relatively nearby Gombe Stream, termite fishing there also peaks in the early wet season. Some year-round fishers may be benefiting from softer soil or more effective toolsets. It’s unclear whether more sophisticated tools would allow continuous exploitation of termite mounds at Issa Valley, but initial tests suggest otherwise.  

“At the end of the day, we are human experimenters attempting to replicate a chimpanzee behavior,” cautioned Phillips. “It should not be taken for granted, for instance, that we are just as effective at foraging for termites with these tools as chimpanzees. I would expect the window of opportunity for chimpanzees to termite fish in the Issa Valley is at least a little bit wider than it is for human researchers.”

Chimp sniffing termite mound

Seth Phillips (UCSC)

CREDIT

secphill@ucsc.edu

JOURNAL

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

DOI

10.3389/fevo.2023.1289433 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

A chimpanzee's time to feast: Seasonality of Macrotermes flight hole activity and alate dispersal flights detected by termite-fishing experiments and camera traps in the Issa Valley, Tanzania

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

17-Nov-2023

Marxists.org

https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1876/part-played-labour/index.htm

The Part Played by Labour in the Transition from Ape to Man 

Works of Frederick Engels 1876. The Part played by Labour in the Transition from Ape to Man. monkey playing. Written: in May-June 1876; First published: in Die ...

Russian artist Alexandra Skochilenko addresses the court in Saint Petersburg at her trial over anti-war messages

Russian artist Alexandra Skochilenko addresses the court in Saint Petersburg at her trial over anti-war messages

She was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment in a penal colony

Written byDaria Dergacheva

Posted 17 November 2023  

The text reads: ‘Sasha Skochilenko was sentenced to 7 years in jail.’ Screenshot from the YouTube video from the Dozhd TV channel. Fair use.

When the Russian invasion of Ukraine had just started in February 2022, Alexandra Skochilenko, an artist from Saint Petersburg, Russia, on March 31, 2022, changed several price tags in a grocery store, Perekrestok, to notes with anti-war statements. She was kept in custody for over a year, and has now been sentenced to seven years in prison by a Russian court for “knowingly spreading false information about the Russian army.” Global Voices translated and edited for clarity her speech before the court hearings on November 16, 2023.  The original speech was published by Novaya Gazeta 

Your Honor, dear court,

My criminal case is so unusual and absurd that it was opened exactly on April 1. Sometimes, I feel like I'll enter the courtroom, and suddenly, confetti will rain down, and everyone will stand and shout, “It's a prank!” The staff at pre-trial detention center No. 5 are amazed, questioning if this is really what people are jailed for now. Even supporters of the SVO [“special military operation,” as the war on Ukraine is officially called in Russia] don't think I deserve prison for my actions.

My case led my investigator to quit before it closed. In a private talk with my lawyer, he confessed he didn't join the investigative committee for cases like mine, Sasha Skochilenko's.

Audio recording of Skochilenko's speech (in Russian), on the YouTube channel Nastoyaschee Vremya

He left my case, which could have boosted his career, and, instead, he left for a job at a store. I deeply respect his decision; we both acted according to our consciences.

Thanks to my investigators and prosecutors, the information I shared reached thousands worldwide. If not for my arrest, only a few individuals, like a grandmother, a cashier, and a security guard at Perekrestok, would have known it.

According to my case files, the so-called price tags hardly affected two of these three individuals.

If these five papers are so dangerous, why start this trial, repeating these statements, alleged by the prosecutor to threaten public safety? Did they cause an earth-shattering event, a revolution, or peace at the front? No, none of this happened. What, then, is the issue?

The state prosecutor repeatedly claimed my act was a grave danger to society and the state.

Does our prosecutor have such little faith in our nation that he believes five pieces of paper can destroy our society and state?

When someone starts a military rebellion, causing huge damage, their case is opened and closed in a day [She refers to the military coup by Evgenii Prigozhin in June 2023]. My actions hurt no one, yet I've been jailed for over a year among murderers and other serious criminals. Is the supposed harm I caused comparable to these crimes?

Every verdict sends a message. You might agree that I showed bravery and honesty, acting according to my moral compass. In investigator lingo, jailing someone is “taking a prisoner.” I didn't give in or break under threat or suffering.

What message does my conviction send to our people? Does it say to give up, be dishonest, admit to false guilt, or ignore empathy for our soldiers? Does it say our society can crumble due to five pieces of paper? Is this the message in times of crisis and stress?

My trial, widely followed in Russia and globally, will make history, regardless of the verdict. You're not judging a terrorist, extremist, or even a political activist. You're judging a pacifist.

I am a pacifist, valuing life above all, believing in peaceful conflict resolution. I can't harm a spider, let alone a person.

Peace is brought by pacifists, not warriors. Jailing pacifists only delays peace.

Life is sacred. It's resilient, astounding, and the essence of our existence. From small cells to great whales, life thrives in every corner of Earth, its most complex form being humans — conscious, mortal beings. Yet, human life is fleeting, a brief moment we all wish to extend.

Ask someone who's survived cancer about life's value. Our loved ones lost to COVID-19 remind us of life's fragility. Now, young lives are lost again, bringing more death, grief, and pain.

Label my beliefs as you wish, but I'll stand by them.

The state prosecutor has his beliefs, different from mine. Yet, I wouldn't jail him for his views.

I apologize if my actions offended anyone. My jail time, among diverse people, showed me everyone has their truth, including views on the SVO. The tragedy is our failure to accept differing truths, dividing society, breaking families, and distancing us from peace. Every person here ultimately seeks peace.

Why fight when we're all each other has in a troubled world? No wealth can rescue a loved one from death.

We're all we have. My loved ones, who don't want me jailed, await me — my elderly mother, sister, and cancer-stricken girlfriend. The state prosecutor might not truly want my imprisonment either. He likely joined his office to tackle real criminals, not someone like me, but the system demands otherwise.

He cares for his career and his family's future. But what will he say about jailing a sick woman for five papers? He reassures himself he's just doing his job, but what about when things change?

History shows shifts in political tides. Strangely, I empathize with you.

Despite my incarceration, I'm freer, able to express myself and make choices. I don't fear poverty or lack of a career. I'm not scared to be different.

Maybe that's why the state fears me and others like me, caging us as dangerous persons.

But we're not each other's enemies. Anger is easy; love and understanding are harder. We must learn to love and resolve conflicts through words, escaping our moral crisis.

Your Honor, your verdict can exemplify conflict resolution through compassion and dialogue, a step towards societal healing.

I realize this trial might seem routine to you, but remember, you hold immense power over human destinies. My fate, health, life, and my loved ones’ happiness are in your hands. I trust you'll use this power wisely.

The judge then gave Alexandra Skochilenko a prison sentence of seven years. As Reuters reported, in court, her supporters repeatedly shouted, “Disgrace, Disgrace!” and Skochilenko, smiling, made a heart shape with her hands as she stood in the courtroom cage. She was later seen wiping tears from her face.