Detention of a Quaker Picketer

On March 3, 2006, Moscow Quaker Viktor Vekselman attempted to hold a one-man picket for an end to inter-religious conflicts. The picketer was arrested.

Ten minutes after the start of the action, a policeman approached Vekselman and demanded to stop the picketing. V. Vekselman presented his consent to the holding of the picket from the prefecture of the Central Administrative District of Moscow, in which, in particular, it was explained that no notification or permission was required for holding an individual picket. Despite this, the 65-year-old Quaker was detained and taken to the 60th police department of the Khamovniki District Department of Internal Affairs, where a protocol on the offense was drawn up.

On March 6, 2006, the case of V. Vekselman was considered by the Magistrate of the Khamovniki Court. The judge refused to consider the case as "insufficiently prepared" and returned the materials to the police officers. After the trial, V. Vekselman informed the police officers who came to the trial that he intended to hold one-man pickets calling for prayerful communion of different religions on a weekly basis.

Sources

• Moscow Quaker detained for holding a picket against interreligious conflicts near the Danish embassy // Portal Credo. 2006. March 6.