31 January 2013 Zoya Svetova Source: HRO.org Zoya Svetova: The 64-year-old physicist, Professor Valentin Danilov, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison for alleged treason and has now been released on parole, tells Zoya Svetova about his life behind bars and what needs to change in the Russian penal system. The last time I met with Valentin Danilov was in 2004, right after the Supreme Court's ruling overturning the innocent verdict in his case. Danilov was preparing to travel to Krasnoyarsk for a new trial. He said that he was once again hoping for acquittal: he was been defending by academics who were convinced of his innocence. He was smoking a pipe and beaming with optimism. Today, 8 years on, Danilov has been in two strict regime colonies, had a stay in the prison hospital due to heart problems, no longer smokes but is just as optimistic as ever, and - incredibly - hasn’t lost his faith in the Russian justice system. [ Read more] | 
