Activist who fought against the President's Olympic decree received political asylum

Civil activist, member of the Krasnodar branch of the Progress Party of Alexei Navalny David Hakim received political asylum in Spain. This is reported by Vedomosti with reference to Khakim's lawyer Alexander Popkov.

David Hakim is known for his protests against the Sochi Olympics. He was repeatedly detained at public events, in particular, David Hakim was detained on February 17 and 23, 2014 during single pickets in Sochi in support of environmentalist Yevgeny Vitishko, for holding these actions Hakim received a fine of thirty thousand rubles and an administrative arrest for four days respectively.

Under the law, a single picket does not require approval, but this rule was canceled for the duration of the Olympics by a presidential decree. David Hakim appealed to the Constitutional Court against the said presidential decree on the restriction of public events in the region during the Olympic Games as violating the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of assembly, pointing out the impossibility of restricting human rights by any normative acts other than federal laws. However, the Constitutional Court refused to accept the complaint against the presidential decree for consideration, arguing that the presidential decree had expired, although the administrative punishment was imposed on Hakim after the decree was terminated.

“The main reason for his departure was the persecution by the police and unknown men in civilian clothes who threatened him - they told him to shut up, otherwise he would go to jail,” Khakim’s lawyer Alexander Popkov told the publication.

According to the lawyer, Hakim first came to Holland, where he asked for political asylum, but he was extradited to Spain because he had a Spanish visa, while the activist managed to get asylum in Spain.