Newsletters / Weekly Human Rights Report
Hello everyone! Once again we’d like you to know what we’ve been up to this week. First of all we’d like to say thank you for your generous donations which have helped us provide legal help to hundreds of people who have been targeted as a result of the recent anti-corruption demonstrations.
Open Russia’s lawyers have been dealing with a range of different cases this week. After the March 26 and June 12 anti-corruption demonstrations there are two people in particular that we’re supporting; Alexey Politikov and Mikhail Glyashkin, an underage boy who found himself on the wrong side of the authorities. Your donations can help us to provide expert help to our defendants and reduce the chance that they will receive jail sentences.
Not a Single Person Acquitted At St. Petersburg City Court in Connection With June 12 Demonstrations
June. St. Petersburg.
Open Russia lawyers along with a number of coordinated support groups have filed hundreds of appeals to the St. Petersburg city court on behalf of those detained on June 12. The court examined dozens of complaints each day, yet not one of them has been accepted. Activists, including Open Russia’s Andrey Pivovarov, Natalia Graznievich, Daniil Patanov and Anastasia Burakova are preparing to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
Lawyer Sergey Badamshin Appeals Arrest of Vyacheslav Maltsev Supporter On Pretext of March 26 Anti-Corruption Protests
June 13. Moscow. Alexey Politikov
Open Russia lawyer Sergey Badamshin has appealed against the arrest of Alexey Politikov, who was accused of assaulting a police officer during the March 26 anti-corruption protests. Badamshin explained that there were no grounds for arrest, and that a softer measures should have been used against the defendant.
Moscow Court First to Acquit June 12 Demonstrators
June 14. Moscow.
Two of our defendants Roman Kovalev and Dmitri Stepanov have been released after two days of court hearings. The “New Opposition” activists were detained during the June 12 anti-corruption protests, and were charged with disobedience, however, during the hearing our lawyer managed to prove their innocence.
Teenager Suspected of Assaulting Police Officer Put Under House Arrest
June 16. Moscow. Mikhail Glyashkin
The Basmanniy District Court in Moscow has sentenced 17-year-old mathematics student Mikhail Glyashkin to house arrest until August 13. According to the inquiry, Glyashkin sprayed pepper spray on a National Guard officer during a June 12 anti-corruption demonstration. Glyashkin is also being represented by our lawyers.
Open Russia Coordinator Fined for Participation in ‘Undesirable Organisation’
June 21. Krasnodar. Yana Antonova
A court in Krasnodar has issued a 15,000 ruble fine to the head of Open Russia’s local office in Krasnodar Yana Antonova for supposedly participating in the activities of an ‘undesirable organisation’; the British-based Otkrytaya Rossiya. Despite statements from the Attorney-General’s office and head of the Ministry of Justice that the work of the British organisation does not concern the Russia-based Open Russia movement, the regional prosecutor’s office nevertheless decided to prosecute. Our lawyer Oleg Eliseev has already appealed the deputy prosecutor’s decision, and will pursue the matter further.
Lawyers Karina Moskalenko and Oksana Preobrazhenskaya Hold Seminar On ECHR For Open Russia Lawyers
June 22. Moscow.
Specialists on the European Court of Human Rights Karina Moskalenko and Oksana Preobrazhenskaya gave a lecture organised by Open Russia in which they explained how to defend Russians’ human rights outside of Russian courts. During the seminar, the two guests explained the process of appealing to the ECHR, using the example of Open Russia lawyer Sergei Badamshin as an example, who has been appealing against illegal detentions at peaceful rallies.