Some of those detained at protests against Telegram blocking were released

Most of those detained at the protests against blocking Telegram on April 16 were released. For one more night, Dmitry Tsorionov and Maria Alyokhina are left in the police. This is reported by the released participants of the action.

Protocols were drawn up against the detainees under part 1 of article 20.2.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (organization of a simultaneous mass stay of citizens in a public place that caused a violation of public order). Some of those who were released from the police were obliged to appear

Two of the 12 detainees, Yulia Kostenko and Alina Muzychenko, were taken to court this morning and fined 10,000 rubles and 20,000 rubles, respectively. They pleaded guilty.

The protocols on administrative offenses say that the participants of the action “manufactured and launched paper products, littering the pedestrian and roadway with them.” By launching airplanes at the front door of the FSB and “perpendicular to the movement of pedestrians,” the protesters allegedly interfered with the passage of citizens.

Open Russia lawyer Alexander Efimov, who defended Kostenko and Muzychenko in court, believes that the action with paper airplanes did not violate public order and did not interfere with passers-by. The fact that passers-by made remarks to the participants is not confirmed by anything:

I would also like to draw attention to the statement that citizens made comments as they passed by. Who made the comments? Individuals should be asked whether they were hindered or not. To take as a basis the fact that these 12 people could prevent someone from passing in a fairly wide place is fiction. I understand that it is very scary when a group of young people launch airplanes, but there was no public danger.

• Yesterday, at first , a lawyer was not allowed to see the detainees , and then they were not allowed to tell their relatives about their detention, their personal belongings were taken away and they were placed in cells for the night. They were given dry rations only today at 12 noon.
• On Friday, April 13, the Tagansky Court of Moscow satisfied the claim of Roskomnadzor and ruled to block the Telegram messenger in Russia.