Newsletters / Weekly Human Rights Report
Hello everyone! The Open Russia Human Rights team has had a very busy week and we thought you’d like to know what we’ve been up to.
We would also like to remind you that we work exclusively on the basis of donations. In today’s Russia political oppression is a fact of life, but you can help us provide support where it is most needed by making a donation here
Activists Arrested as Two Million Signatures Call for Russia to Act on Treatment of Gays in Chechnya
May 29. Moscow.
Five activists have been arrested while attempting to give a petition with two million signatures to the General Prosecutor’s office, calling for them to investigate the treatment of gays in Chechnya. Among those arrested were two Open Russia activists. Our lawyers Oleg Eliseev and Andrey Yumashev defended three of the participants and managed to secure the minimum punishment.
Lorry Drivers Protest New Toll Fees
May 21-23. Khimki, Moscow Region.
Long-distance lorry drivers recently organised a parking-lot protest against a controversial new toll system set up across Russia which was designed to dissuade heavy trucks from using highways. The drivers were arrested for speaking out and were forced to wait for two days for a court hearing at the local police department. Our lawyer Alexander Efimov managed to secure the minimum punishment for ten of the participants.
March 26 Anti-Corruption Demonstrator Receives Suspended Sentence
May 24. Volgograd. Maxim Beldinov
Maxim Beldinov, history student at Volgograd University, was found guilty of kicking a police officer who was dragging a child by the hair during the March 26 anti-corruption protests. The protests saw unprecedented mass-detentions of over 1000 people in Moscow alone. Currently, with the help of our lawyer Roman Zaytsev, Beldinov is the first person prosecuted for attending the protests who has not been given jail time.
Carpenter Given 18-Month Sentence for Attending March 26 Protests
May 24. Moscow. Alexander Shbakov
39-year-old Alexander Shbakov, a carpenter from Lyubertsy, attended the March 26 anti-corruption demonstration in Moscow in order to look after his daughter, a first-year university student. Shbakov ended up in a crowd and was beaten by police, and the evidence shows that he ended up hitting an officer. The investigators asked the carpenter to plead guilty. Open Russia lawyer Sergey Badamshin later took up the case and Shbakov was sentenced to a year and a half, although the prosecutor was seeking a two-year sentence.
Lawyer Badamshin Files Complaint to the European Court of Human Rights for Police Inaction
May 25. Sergey Mokhov.
Six months ago a stranger attacked Sergey Mokhol, publisher of the journal “The Archeology of Russian Death”, which studies the topic of death. Mokhov was injected with an unknown substance which could have killed him. No attempt by the authorities has been made to conduct an investigation. Our lawyer Sergey Badamshin filed a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights, as the inaction of the police violated a number of articles of the Human Rights Convention.
Prosecutions Take Place Against Participants of Open Russia’s “Enough” Demonstrations in St. Petersburg
On April 29 citizens in scores of cities across Russia delivered their written demands to the presidential administration calling for Vladimir Putin to decline from running for a fourth presidential term. In St. Petersburg over 100 people were detained. With the help of five of our lawyers, 55 of those detained have already passed through trial with only a fine.
FSB Agents Raid Apartment of Open Russia Member
May 29. Kemerovo. Dmitry Ulitin
Not long before the April 29 “Enough” demonstrations were due to take place, Dmitry Ulitin wrote on his VKontakte profile calling for friends to participate by taking their written demands to the presidential administration. A month later FSB agents appeared to conduct a raid of his apartment. Ulitin is being represented by local activist and lawyer Artur Stash who works alongside Open Russia.
Former Head of Kaliningrad Nationalist Group Accused of Organising “Extremist Community”
May 27-29. Kaliningrad. Alexander Orshulevich
Alexander Orshulevich, former head of the group “Baltic Vanguard”, was raided at 7am at his home where he was beaten during a search for extremist material. The court sentenced Orshulevich to two months detention, regardless of the fact that he had already left the organisation and now raises four children. Local activists and members of Open Russia have begun collecting funds in order to provide legal support.
Court Extends Detention of Mathematician Bogatov Accused of Inciting Terrorism
May 29. Moscow. Dmitry Bogatov
Dmitry Bogatov has been accused of inciting terrorism after his IP-address was found to match with that of someone on an internet forum who had called for people to bring explosives to a demonstration. Bogatov is being considered guilty on the basis of no evidence, and has been detained for two months. We are currently supporting Bogatov’s wife and are consulting her on the court process.
Lawyers of Nationalist Alexander Potkin Appeal the Constitutional Court’s Application of Extremist Law
May 30. Moscow. Alexander Potkin
Alexander Potkin has been accused of extremism for his activity in the project “Evil Kazakh”. Open Russia’s Sergey Badamshin and Igor Popovsky have filed an appeal to the Constitutional Court. The document mentions the contradiction between the law on “extremism” and the Russian Constitution. Badamshin showed that the law on “extremism”, in its literal interpretation, is a punishment for thought-crime.