The persecution of Philip Kostenko continues: now they are kicking him

On the morning of February 3, 2012, St. Petersburg social activist and employee of the anti-discrimination center "Memorial" Filipp Kostenko was attacked and beaten by two unknown men in Alexandrino Park.

According to the victim, the attackers clarified that it was Kostenko in front of them, knocked him to the ground and beat him, trying to strike him on the legs (several blows to the head), and then disappeared. The attackers were not interested in money or valuables.

F. Kostenko refused to file a crime report with the police. This is the second attack on the activist in several days: on January 31, 2012, he was beaten by four unknown men.

F. Kostenko himself regarded the attack as an attempt to prevent him from attending the protest rally on February 4 and stated the following about the incident: “ I have repeatedly received threats both from specific employees of Center E and from unknown persons. After his release from arrest in January They threatened that they would meet me and break my legs in the park near my house. Apparently, today they tried to implement their words. The attackers on February 3 deliberately hit my legs, injured my knee and broke my glasses - it seems that they were trying to interfere with any activity... Center E was chosen. a new tactic of completely open terror. They could not imprison me and decided to intimidate me by force... "

After the attack, the Prunes blog published threatening letters on behalf of an employee of Center E, who blamed his colleagues for the incident.

On February 7, 2011, ADC Memorial filed a statement about the beating of F. Kostenko to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for St. Petersburg.

Sources

• Human rights activist Philip Kostenko was beaten in the park // ZAKS.ru. 2012. February 3.
• Center "E" changes tactics // Blog "Prunes". 2012. February 3.
• GUVD: Anarchist Philip Kostenko refused to give a statement about the crime // Shum. 2012. February 4.
• Beatings require action. A statement was filed about the beating of St. Petersburg activist Philip Kostenko // Gazeta.ru. 2012. February 7.