Translated material
Political pressure: media digest (October 1-8)
"Bolotnaya case"
Mikhail Kosenko was found guilty and sent for compulsory psychiatric treatment
“The Zamoskvoretsky Court of Moscow on Tuesday decided to send Mikhail Kosenko, who was found guilty of participating in mass riots on Bolotnaya Square on May 6 last year and using violence against a police officer, to forced treatment in a hospital, a RAPSI correspondent reports from the courtroom. The court decided to release Kosenko from responsibility for his acts and apply compulsory treatment measures to him.”
“Lawyer of the human rights association “Agora” Dmitry Dinze says that “people who are prescribed a compulsory measure of a medical nature are kept for quite a long time.”
“Three, four, five years. Depending on the indications, for health reasons... As practice shows, such people are kept there consistently for a year, but most often for at least three years,” Dinze told Gazeta.Ru.
In such institutions, notes lawyer Irina Khrunova, funding is so poor that it is more profitable for doctors to keep “quiet” ones: “Well, so that there is less fuss with them. And as soon as they have a problem patient, they, oddly enough, immediately want to discharge him. And the “quiet” ones, on the contrary, are kept as long as possible. There just aren’t enough staff to deal with these kinds of patients.”
“Human rights activists from Amnesty International criticized the decision of the Moscow court, which found Mikhail Kosenko, a defendant in the Bolotna case, guilty. “The forced placement of Mikhail Kosenko in a psychiatric clinic smacks of the worst examples from the Soviet past, when dissidents languished in psychiatric hospitals, where they were treated as crazy just because they said what they thought,” said Sergei Nikitin, head of Amnesty International Russia.”
Mikhail Kosenko's last word in court
Assessment of the Kosenko case in terms of granting the accused the right to a fair trial
Amnesty International recognized the three accused in the Bolotnaya case as prisoners of conscience
Amnesty International website, October 3 :
“On Thursday 3 October, Amnesty International called for the immediate and unconditional release from custody of all those who were not involved in violent or other unlawful acts during the mass protests in Moscow on 6 May 2012, but were nevertheless brought before before the court in the so-called “Bolotnaya case”. Based on the available evidence and testimony heard in court, Amnesty International is confident that at least three of the co-defendants in the case - Vladimir Akimenkov, Artyom Savelov and Mikhail Kosenko - can now be recognized as prisoners of conscience. They have been in custody for more than a year for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of speech and assembly. It is possible, and most likely, that the remaining co-defendants are also prisoners of conscience, but hearings into their actions during the demonstration are still ongoing.”
Arrest terms extended for those accused in the Bolotnaya case
“Human Rights in Russia”, October 4 :
“At the court hearing, the investigator said that, according to operatives, under the threat of serious consequences and in order to avoid punishment, Gaskarov could hide from the authorities and had previously planned to do so. Also, a representative of the investigative team argued that [Aleksey] Gaskarov “committed a crime without regard for social norms and morality” and his “role was particularly active and aggressive,” so it is impossible to release him from arrest.”
“Human Rights in Russia”, October 3 :
“The arrest in the pre-trial detention center of Dmitry Rukavishnikov and the house arrest of Sergei Udaltsov have been extended until February 6. <…> Sergei Udaltsov himself, accused of organizing mass unrest with Georgian money, made a speech and asked to support the guys in the pre-trial detention center, to hold a march in defense of political prisoners and not to relax, thinking about amnesty. “I will not set fire to the Investigative Committee,” he promised the prosecutors. “We will still need this building.”
Hearings on “Case 12” are now held not in the Moscow City Court, but in the Nikulinsky Court, the accused are beaten by guards
“The Nikulinsky court, where the trial led by the chairman of the Zamoskvoretsky court, Natalya Nikishina , has moved, allocated a spacious hall for the “Case of Twelve,” but there are no microphones in it and the judge is practically inaudible. When the defense complained about this, the presiding judge just grinned. “The main thing is that it can be heard by the court, but I can hear it perfectly well,” she said. <…> [Vladimir] Akimenkov moved on to another topic and tried to make a statement that he was beaten by the guard, but the judge did not give him a chance to speak and threatened to remove him from the courtroom. According to Akimenkov's relatives, during a break in the hearing, a police officer hit him on the head from behind. <…> At the beginning of the hearing, defendant Sergei Krivov tried to make a statement, but the judge ignored him. Krivov continued to insist that he be listened to. However, the judge, having made several comments to the defendant, removed him from the courtroom. Already during the break, his lawyer Vyacheslav Makarov announced the essence of the statement, which Krivov was never able to read out in the courtroom - before the start of the hearing, he, according to him, was subjected to a humiliating search and beatings in the convoy room of the Nikulinsky court. According to the defense attorney, in the corridor of the convoy room, the police demanded that Krirov completely undress and then begin to squat. He sat down a few times, but then gave up. Then the guard hit the defendant in the shoulder. This is not the first time, as his lawyer says, that Sergei has been beaten. In early April, Krivov was beaten by guards in the Moscow City Court . After the end of the hearing on the appeal to extend the arrest, Krivov was taken out into the corridor, his head was hit several times against the wall, and he was also poked in the stomach with a stun gun. After which they lowered him into the guard and continued beating him.”
“Left Front activist Vladimir Akimenkov, a defendant in the “Case of the Twelve,” was attacked by a guard in court. This was reported by a Grani correspondent with reference to the words of Akimenkov himself, spoken in the courtroom. The political prisoner's lawyer, Dmitry Agranovsky, clarifies that Akimenkov blamed a policeman dressed in camouflage with a dog for the attack. As it turned out later , his badge number was 007660. During a break in the court hearing, the guard hit the activist in the head from behind. When Akimenkov tried to officially inform judge Natalia Nikishina about the attack, she reprimanded the political prisoner , threatening to remove him from the courtroom. At the same meeting, public defender Sergei Sharov-Delone, a representative of the Committee on May 6, petitioned for urgent access from a doctor to another “swamp prisoner” - Andrei Barabanov, who began to have vision problems. However, Nikishina also interrupted Sharov-Delaunay.”
“Lawyer Dmitry Agranovsky notes that hearings in the Nikulinsky court began to take place under more stringent conditions, and, according to the lawyer, there are several reasons why the process moved:
– The process was removed from the center: either it causes too much irritation among the authorities, or it doesn’t exist at all anymore – and it can be sent here like that. I ask the supporters of our clients to draw conclusions, otherwise there will be such an amnesty that it will not seem enough. “Some have already relaxed and are waiting for us all to be released in the courtroom, but this is still far from a fact,” the lawyer believes.”
Ambulances are not allowed to see Andrei Barabanov
"Committee of May 6", October 2 :
“16:30 The ambulance was not allowed to see Andrei Barabanov. When brigade 618719 arrived 10 minutes after the call, the convoy responded: “We’ll call ours, leave!” In the same way, another brigade was not allowed in.
16:00 Andrey Barabanov asks to call an ambulance, he feels bad. The judge refuses, continuing to question the witness. Andrey again asks to call an ambulance.
Hearings on “Case 12” have been postponed until October 15, since Andrei Barabanov needs to undergo treatment
“The hearings in the case of mass riots on Bolotnaya Square in the capital on May 6 last year were postponed until October 15 due to the injury of one of the defendants, lawyer Dmitry Agranovsky told RAPSI on Tuesday. “The case is postponed until 11.30 on November 15 due to the fact that Andrei Barabanov needs to undergo treatment in the medical unit of the pre-trial detention center, his eye hurts,” Agranovsky said. The lawyer said that Barabanov hit his head in his cell and injured his eye; over the weekend he was examined in the pre-trial detention center, and the management of the detention center informed the court that treatment would take at least a week.”
Defense attorney accuses judge of pitting lawyers and defendants against each other
"Committee of May 6", October 3 :
“[Alexandra Dukhanina’s defense lawyer] Dmitry Borko: <...> The conclusion, as usual, was lawyer Makarov, known for his manner of organizing a long siege of witnesses. His client Krivov and someone else still had questions. Everyone was tired and began to ask to postpone the end until tomorrow. And then first the prosecutors, and then the judge, directly stated an ultimatum to the defense: you will not leave until you finish the interrogation. Looking at the hungry guys in the cage, Makarov dejectedly declared: “I can’t withstand the pressure of the court and I’m stopping the interrogation.” This was not just outright BLACKMAIL of Judge Nikishina. The grueling process gradually undermines the strength of the participants and, first of all, the defending side, which was initially placed in unequal opportunities. Nervousness is growing. The court openly began to play on this, provoking conflict situations, pitting the defense and the accused against each other. This is already beyond the bounds.”
Maxim Luzyanin, previously convicted in the Bolotnaya case, refused to testify in Case 12
"Committee of May 6", October 6 :
“The lawyer stated that his client intends to use Article 51 of the Constitution. In addition, the defense lawyer presented a certificate stating that Luzyanin could not be transported to the court hearing due to illness. At the same time, judge Natalya Nikishina told the lawyer that he could not represent Luzyanin’s interests until he was brought into the process.”
Members of the Human Rights Council cannot agree on an amnesty for those accused in the Bolotnaya case and Pussy Riot participants
“The group developing the amnesty project is headed by former judge of the Constitutional Court Tamara Morshchakova and chairman of the civil rights committee Andrei Babushkin. Morshchakova flatly refused to comment on the situation surrounding the project; as for Babushkin, he simply did not answer calls. Professor at the Higher School of Economics Ilya Shablinsky explains this secrecy by the legal difficulties faced by human rights activists.
— Unlike pardon, amnesty is declared not individually, but by category of convicts. The defendants in the trial for the riots on Bolotnaya are charged with various charges. Most are accused of participating in mass riots. However, the charges include resisting law enforcement officers. But if we look around the country, most of those who resisted the police are just hooligans without any political background. This is a complex legal and technical task,” he points out.
Pussy Riot
Tolokonnikova suspended her hunger strike
"Prisoners' Union", October 1 :
“Today, October 1, at 11.00, convicted Nadezhda Tolokonnikova stopped her hunger strike and started eating. This was reported on the website of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Mordovia. According to the department, Tolokonnikova’s health condition is stable. Planned treatment and diagnostic measures are being carried out. “Due to a long hunger strike, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova has been transferred to dietary nutrition,” the department notes. The end of Tolokonnikova’s hunger strike was announced earlier on Twitter by Russian State Duma deputy Ilya Ponomarev, who visited the convict today.”
"1. I am not lifting my hunger strike, but I am suspending it due to my very serious condition and complications that have begun.
- The demands of my hunger strike are:
A) Adequate investigation of the conditions of detention of convicted women in IK-14
B) Safety and absence of psychological pressure in relation to convicted women who testified about the situation in IK-14
C) Transfer to another colony from IK-14, in accordance with the FSIN’s promise of transfer conveyed to me
If any of these demands are not met, I will resume my hunger strike again.
- The only condition under which I am ready not to resume the hunger strike in the event of being transferred back from the hospital to IK-14 is that the Investigative Committee initiates a criminal case against the deputy head of IK-14, Lieutenant Colonel Yuri Kupriyanov. If a case is initiated, I am ready to spend the rest of my term in IK-14.”
The human rights activist has information that Tolokonnikova’s face is broken
"Union of Prisoners", October 1 :
“...on the way from LIU-21 to Saransk, I received information from people who met with [Nadezhda] Tolokonnikova in the hospital that “her face is broken”... Perhaps this is the dermatitis that Ponomarev refers to, and because of which he did not remove her, according to [Petr] Verzilov, however, it is not clear why, in this case, neither her husband nor human rights activists are allowed to see Nadezhda, and because of which her room, for some reason located in The maternity ward of the FSI hospital is strictly guarded by employees of various ranks and services... My sources also reported that Tolokonnikova began to be force-fed.”
The Investigative Committee extended the investigation into Tolokonnikova’s statement about threats in the colony
“The investigative authorities extended the check in the Mordovian colony at the request of the convicted member of the punk group Pussy Riot Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, a representative of the investigative department of the Investigative Committee for the Republic of Mordovia told RIA Novosti on Thursday. <…> “The inspection has been extended to 30 days due to the large volume of work,” said a representative of the department. According to him, the results of the inspection will be on October 21-23.”
Tolokonnikova's lawyers ask the head of the Federal Chamber of Lawyers to pay attention to the violation of their rights
“Since September 30, the management of treatment and prevention institution / health care facility / number 21 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in Mordovia has been refusing to provide meetings with Tolokonnikova. The lawyers ask [Evgeniy] Semenyaka to intervene in this situation and take measures to protect their rights. As stated in the "Agora" appeal, representatives and defenders of the convicted person repeatedly tried to meet with her, but from September 30 to the present day, the head of the medical facility, Oleg Klishkov, illegally refused visits, citing medical reasons. Tolokonnikova’s lawyers consider such arguments “very dubious.” “State Duma Deputy Ilya Ponomarev was allowed to visit the convict on October 1, which indicates the possibility of outsiders visiting Tolokonnikova, and the reference to her state of health is untenable,” the lawyers note in their appeal to Semenyaka.”
Members of the Presidential Council for Human Rights accused their colleague of involvement in organizing Tolokonnikova’s hunger strike
“We believe that the hunger strike of convicted Tolokonnikova N.A. was pre-planned, organized and coordinated externally, as well as information support on the Internet and in the media. This activity was carried out, among other things, by Tolokonnikova’s husband N.A. Verzilov P.Yu., lawyer Tolokonnikova Khrunova I.V., chairman of the interregional association of the human rights organization "Agora" Chikov P.V. ( see Appendix ). The arrival of the HRC working group, apparently, was also planned in advance.”
prosecution
The regional court recognized the legality of the arrest of three accused of piracy in the Pechora Sea, the lawyers intend to appeal to Strasbourg
“Lawyers will soon file a complaint with the ECHR against the decision of the Murmansk Regional Court, which left three detainees in custody at the Prirazlomnaya platform,” Greenpeace Russia lawyer Mikhail Kreindlin told RIA Novosti. The Murmansk Regional Court on Tuesday rejected the complaints of the lawyers of the Arctic Sunrise ship doctor Ekaterina Zaspa, Greenpeace Russia press secretary Andrei Allakhverdov and photojournalist Denis Sinyakov against the election of a preventive measure against them in the form of detention. “After the appeal is rejected, there are all grounds for filing a complaint to change the preventive measure to the European Court of Human Rights. According to the existing practice of the European Court, after the second instance there are grounds for filing a complaint. Filing a complaint will occur quite quickly. Usually the ECHR considers cases for a long time, but “It also has an expedited procedure if a person is in custody. I think that in this case this procedure will be applied,” Kreindlin said.
International human rights organizations demand that Greenpeace activists be acquitted of piracy charges
Amnesty International website, October 2 :
“Charges of ‘piracy’ leveled against activists from the international environmental organization Greenpeace today in Russia are absurd, undermine the rule of law and must be withdrawn immediately,” Amnesty International said on Wednesday, October 2. "The absurd charges of piracy brought against activists who participated in a peaceful protest are completely unfounded. They make a mockery of the Russian judicial system and should be dropped immediately." - said Sergey Nikitin, head of the Russian representative office of Amnesty International. "The Russian authorities, obviously, decided to approximately punish Greenpeace activists in order to discourage others from conducting such protests in the future. Unfortunately, this is completely consistent with the attitude of the Russian authorities in general to any protests," the human rights activist added. "
Human Rights Watch site, October 1 :
“ The Russian authorities must immediately release 30 people detained in connection with the protest in the Pechora Sea, said Human Raits Vech. On September 26, 2013, the court in Murmansk authorized a detention for two months on charges of piracy 22 people from among the detainees. On September 29, the same court sent to a pre -trial detention center for two months the remaining ones. “With the help of a far -fetched prosecution, the Russian authorities want to hide the Greenpeace activists for two months,” says Tanya Cooper , researcher Huuman Raits Vech in Russia. “The accusation of piracy activists is a legal grotesque that is more like an attempt to intimidate Greenpeace than to ensure the law and order.”
The Netherlands sue Russia due to the arrest of Greenpeace activists
“ The Foreign Minister of the Netherlands France Timmermans announced on Friday that Gaaga was suing Russia. <...> “The Netherlands, as a state under whose flag, the Arctic Sunrise walks, began the arbitration procedure on the basis of the UN marine law against the fact that they are considering as illegal detention of the vessel, demanding that the ship and the crew be released,” France Timmermmans announced to be released In a letter to the parliament. "
Hearings in the Kirov Regional Court on a complaint about the sentence to Navalny and Officer were postponed to October 16
““ Almost only the judge’s assistant called us in Kirov and said that the meeting was transferred to the 16th at 10.00, ”said the lawyer [Navalny Vadim Kobzev], noting that he was not informed of the transfer of hearings. In his opinion, the transfer of the date of the meeting in the Kirov Regional Court is a consequence of information that appeared on the eve of the possible deposition of the process in the Moscow City Court. "Obviously they really want Navalny to be present in the courts personally," Kobzev said. Earlier it was reported that on October 9, in two courts of Russia, meetings will be held at once in two cases accused of which Navalny is taking place. The Moscow City Court intends to hold a hearing on an appeal on a decision on the instruction of a criminal case against Alexei Navalny and his brother Oleg on suspicion of fraud by 55 million rubles and the legalization of funds when transporting the goods of the company "Yves Rocher", and the court in Kirov planned to consider him the same A complaint about the verdict in the case of Kirovles. Navalny said that he would not go to Kirov. ”
In court in the case of the nationalist Daniil Konstantinov, investigators were questioned who examined the place of the murder of which he is accused
"Union of prisoners", October 1 :
“When [Denis] Kondratenko arrived at the place of murder, police officers were already working near the corpse. When asked whether any of the police records about the crime told him, Kondratenko could not answer. He remembered that at night he interrogated the "local resident similar to the homeless," and the wounded victim. But whether the last at the scene of the crime was when the investigator himself arrived there, he also did not answer. He did not answer the questions: did he inspect the scene from the opposite side of the highway, why he attracted the mother of the place of the murder killed to the inspection, that the forensic scientist was filmed at the place of the murder and why the photo table was not attached to the protocol. Since the persons who attacked Temnikov were not established, he did not take measures to detain criminals and did not remember whether he considered the involvement of the witness [Alexei] Sofronov [his testimony was built by Konstantinov’s accusation] to murder. <...> Recall that the operatives seized the telephone and the Board of [the murdered Alexander] Temnikov at the place of the murder, but later these two subjects that could help answer the question of what happened on the evening of December 3 at the metro station "Academician Yangel Street" Lossed from the case. "
The mayor of Yaroslavl Urlashov was left under arrest until December
“Until December, the Moscow City Court left Yaroslavl Evgeny Urlashov, who was accused of corruption, detained from the post of mayor of Yaroslavl , the RAPSI correspondent reports from the courtroom. Thus, the court rejected the complaint of his lawyers who insisted on his transfer under house arrest or release or secured in the amount of 25 million rubles. According to the investigation, Urlashov and three of his subordinates demanded from an entrepreneur engaged in cleaning the city, a “rollback” of 45 million rubles. Among the defendants were the deputy mayor Dmitry Donskov, the mayor adviser Alexei Lopatin and the head of the municipal order of the Yaroslavl City Hall, Maxim Poikalinen. Earlier, Poikalainen concluded a deal with the investigation, Lopatin concluded the same deal. A criminal case on receiving a bribe of 500 thousand rubles has also been instituted against Urlashov. ”
Witnesses of the accusations in the case of an activist of “Other Russia” Sergei Cherepovsky were questioned
"Union of prisoners", October 2 :
“Three witnesses of the prosecution were interrogated. Again, none of them could explain who was the initiator of the detention. But one of the witnesses amused by the story about how Cherepovsky "scattered employees with a fishing rod." However, the next witness, who confidently showed that he had not seen the victim had any bodily injuries, was more pleased. At the request of the prosecutors, they read out the testimony in which these injuries incompatible with life were mentioned. After that, a dialogue took place, who did not leave indifferent even a judge and bailiffs:
Prosecutor: Did you testify?
Witness: if there is, then I gave it, but I do not remember.
Judge: What do not remember the readings or scratch?
Witness: scratch.
P.: Have you forgotten or do not remember?
Witness: .......
P.: Have you forgotten or do not remember?
The prosecutor’s blushes, the bailiffs crush, the judge grunts, Sergei smiles sadly behind bars - he knows the price of this circus better than others. ”
The case of sociologist Mikhail Savva was sent to the court
"Human rights in Russia", October 3 :
“The prosecutor's office of the Krasnodar Territory approved the indictment in the case of Professor KubSU Mikhail Savva. This was announced on her page of the social network Facebook by his wife - Elena Savva. According to the wife of a professor suspected of two crimes related to fraud, the case with the approved opinion was transferred to court. At the same time, Savva’s lawyers cannot meet their client. "I just called up with a lawyer. He is already two days-Friday and today Monday-he cannot get to Mikhail in the SIZO-5. He stands in line for several hours and still does not fall," says Elena Savva. "
Sochi extended the deadline for home arrest of a journalist
“The Court of the Central District of Sochi at the request of the investigation extended the journalist Nikolai Yarst the term of maintenance under house arrest until December 3. The defense believes that the investigation in the case of a journalist is unjustified.
Journalist of "Public Television of Russia" Nikolai Yarst was detained in Sochi on May 23 . According to the investigation, in the car he and his colleagues, the police officers found a bag of drugs . Yarst rejects accusations of drug storage and connects the persecution with his professional activities, in particular, with his journalistic investigation . ”