Finding on the list

The police are conducting political supervision of unreliable citizens who have not committed offenses

In the twenties of January, before the mass protests in St. Petersburg home to the Yabloko, Vladimir Moludozhene, Vadim Vaganov, Yuri Bagrov and Sergey Troshin, to the municipal deputy from Yabloko, Maxim Khalimovsky, political activist Dmitry Nikolaev, Jerce of Mediazons David Frenkel and lawyer The “protest apologies” Varvara Mikhailova came the police. Including district police officers. They read some “warnings about the inadmissibility of violation of Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code” (violation of the procedure for holding public actions) and demanded to sign or write down the process on the video.

The police did not give any explanations why they came. As they did not explain, and what norm of the law they rely on. The maximum that was reported that the information came from the Office.

Note: neither the newlyweds, nor Vaganov, nor Nikolaev, nor Bagrov, nor Khalimovsky never received any administrative punishments for violating the order of participation in public events. Although even if they received it, the fact of bringing to administrative responsibility is not at all the basis for visiting citizens with some completely “extra-procedural” papers, and the requirements to familiarize themselves and sign in any way are not legal.

I wrote to the head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the city and the region Lieutenant General Roman Plugin, asking to report on which, in fact, these “visits” were made on the basis.

He noted that, in my opinion, they are not connected with the fact that citizens are known as malicious violators of the law, but exclusively with their political and social activities and political views. And that, in my opinion, the distraction of the forces of the police, especially the precinct authorized persons, on actions that are not provided for by law, only complicates the work of Plugin's subordinates,

It does not contribute to the fight against crime and protect the rights of citizens and is an empty and unreasonable expense of official time.

Instead of Plugin, Colonel Dmitry Veselov, Deputy Head of Police to Protection of Public Order, answered me.

And he said that the basis for “visits” by the indicated and other citizens are some “lists of persons who consider themselves to be protesting organizations, whose activities can contribute to public order”, received by the district administration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from the Center for Countering Extremism (ET Center).

And “as part of the study of these lists in connection with the possible complication of the operational situation related to the preparation of inconsistent public actions,” “conducting preventive measures to prevent the indicated persons of unlawful actions” was organized.

In my opinion, there is a direct evidence that the police are engaged in a political investigation. With regard to citizens who did not violate the law and were not “attracted”.

First. What is the concept of "organization of a protest" that is not in the legislation? And what organizations of the ED center refers to such?

He considers the Yabloko party such an organization - believing that it can come home to its members for “preventive measures”? To what "organization of the protest" can journalist Frenkel "attribute itself to"? And the lawyer Mikhailov?

By the way, in his response, Colonel Veselov still refers to such a basis for “visits” as “the implementation of the regional authorized police of the preventive bypass”. What is called, do not laugh my slippers.

What, in fact, on earth should “prevent” against those who have not violated the law?

Second. Where are the legal grounds for the preparation of any “lists of persons who consider themselves to be protesting organizations”? And by the way, how does the EE center determine that these persons are “ranked” to these organizations? He interviewed them, and they confirmed them? Are there any statements of these persons about joining these organizations?

Third. How can persons who are not even brought to administrative responsibility get into these lists? Why on earth did the police have the right to prevent their “prevention of unlawful actions”?

I asked all these questions to the head of the ED center - he was sent an official letter on a deputy form. I am waiting for an answer with interest.

In my opinion, there is a situation where the police draw up lists of politically unreliable citizens.

The only claim to which are their political activity and political views.

And assigns the right to engage in “bypasses”, “prevention” and the issuance of “warnings” not provided for by the law.

Turning from law enforcement agencies - into a guard.

Yes, this is not the first time we meet like that. In particular, in 2017, in St. Petersburg, after a protest on the Marse Field, the police also went home - but then they came for “preventive” purposes to those who were detained and fined or received administrative arrest. And now they come to those who have not committed any violations and were not subjected to punishments ...

However, it is worth recalling the remarkable story of almost 11 years ago, when home to the famous lawyer, now-a member of the city election commission from the Yabloko party Olga Pokrovskaya, the district commissioner came and said that she was accounting for some accounting. True, he refused to inform what kind of accounting is and who put Pokrovskaya on him.

In response to the appeal to the then head of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate of St. Petersburg and the region, Pokrovskaya received an enchanting answer: yes, it is registered “as a person included in the informal youth associations of an extremist sense”, and was registered “in accordance with the information received from the Center for Combating the HUVD in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region”.

Pokrovskaya appealed to the court, demanding to recognize her “registration” unlawful. By indicating that in any formal or informal youth associations (she already had two little grandchildren then), and even more so extremist, was never consisted of.

At the hearing was presented a list compiled by the “E” center, where 128 people “prone to extremist activity, participants in informal youth associations, movements” appeared.

Pokrovskaya was listed in this list as “an“ apple ”encouraging itself (!).

Olga Pokrovskaya won the court - the judge in his decision did not leave stone on stone from the arguments of the police. In particular, sarcastically indicating that from the submitted documents “it is not seen what kind of grouping“ Yabloko ”is in question” and that they did not provide any evidence of the legality of this “registration”.

So the judicial precedent of the recognition of such actions already took place.

And it is possible that those who are now included in the “lists of unreliable” will also defend their right in court in these lists.