"Find a reason for searches." The authorities of the Kuban against "unwanted"

In Krasnodar, the former Coordinator of Open Russia, Jan Antonov, is suspected of "participating in an undesirable organization." Last week, a search was held in her apartment. They seized phones from the activists and took for interrogation to the Investigative Committee. During the search, Yana Antonova was not allowed to call a lawyer.

At the end of March, the investigating authorities of Krasnodar opened a third criminal case in Russian law enforcement practice under an article on participation in the activities of an unwanted organization (284.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Yana Antonova is now passing on him in the status of a suspect. According to the activist, the decision on initiating the case mentions her publications on social networks, in particular, her repost of the video with the appeal of deputies on the lack of secondary schools in Krasnodar and the repost of the publication made by Vlad Listev’s death. At both posts there is an open Russia logo. For these publications, Yana Antonova was already fined under an administrative article on the implementation of the activities of an undesirable organization (20.33 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation).

“What specifically they suspect me, I do not know,” says Yana Antonova . - I had three administrative fines under article 20.33. Mostly for posts in social networks. Law enforcement agencies, apparently, believe that this is all related to the activities of a certain unwanted foreign organization. Maybe they suspect that the late leaves were once a member of such an organization?

- Tell us how the search was ?

- On April 9, at 6 a.m., police officers came to me and my son, and announced that a criminal case had been instituted, that a search was being carried out. They did not allow my lawyer to call - the phone was immediately taken away. They began to withdraw the equipment, my phone, my son’s phone, computer, movie camera was taken. Then they took me to the Investigative Committee.

- What were you asked there?

-I refused to testify, taking advantage of the 51st article of the Constitution.

- And during the very search, how did these people behave?

- They behaved correctly. I have no complaints about the behavior of our police officers.

- Are you going to appeal the search itself and the fact that a lawyer has not been allowed to you?

- Yes, sure. My lawyer Alexander Valyavsky is engaged in all this.

- How can events develop further?

- I can't know now. This is a matter of investigation. They know how everything will develop. So far, I have an obligation - the appeal to the investigator. And so I intend to do - to appear at the first request.

- Are you afraid of arrest?

- You can be afraid of anything. Let's see how events will develop.

- From your point of view, what is the reason for such an interest of law enforcement agencies in you personally?

- I do not know, but there is an assumption that interest in me is related to interest in the famous organization "Ecological Watch in the North Caucasus." The fact is that on April 9, searches took place at the same time both with me and Krasnodar ecologists. Although they have nothing to do with any political activity. They are engaged in the purely protection of nature. Apparently, they crossed the road to someone, so they are attacked. And the criminal case is just a pretext for searches to withdraw equipment. When the organization is seized with all equipment, it is clear that for some time its work is paralyzed. Environmentalists, like mine, were taken away.

- At the same time, you are in no way connected with the "ecological shift in the North Caucasus"? Do not cooperate with them?

- No, they are not engaged in political activities. And my activity was mainly connected with the city of Krasnodar, with the defense of the construction of schools here. I practically do not engage in the nature of the North Caucasus, ecology, ”says Yana Antonova.

On April 9, the police really came to the Krasnodar activists related to “open Russia”, but also to the office of the Ecological Watch in the North Caucasus. Ecologist Coordinator Andrei Rudomakh told Radio Liberty that the search lasted several hours: the investigator of the Investigative Committee of Mishin did not show them a copy of the decision on the search, and the security forces themselves explained the security forces in the office of Ekovakhta could be activist Alexander Savelyev, previously brought to administrative responsibility for the activities of an unwanted organization. During the search, all digital media were seized, including wheels, flash drives, phones, computers. A few days later it became known that Ekovakht was fined 80 thousand rubles for participating in the activities of an unwanted organization. The reason was that environmentalists published their texts on blogs on the Open Russia website and distributed them with the organization’s logo. At a court hearing, which, as it turned out, was scheduled for April 9, representatives of Ekovakhta could not be present due to searches.

In the Krasnodar Territory, the authorities somehow put pressure on almost all activists, argues Yana Antonov. In the past - a children's surgeon, now she is mastering the profession of a lawyer. For several years she has been taking part in civil protests: she goes out with pickets in support of the Kuban lawyer Mikhail Benyash, participates in memorable events dedicated to Boris Nemtsov, and is present as an observer in the elections. Antonov was fined several times and even appointed her administrative arrest for three days on charges of violating the rules of public events. And for cooperation with Open Russia, she was a fine of 15 thousand rubles twice - in the summer of 2017 and 2018.

Despite the pressure and his indefinite status, the activist does not intend to leave Russia:

- Yana, you are a children's surgeon by profession. When and why did you engage in civic activities?

Russia is my homeland. I love her

- It happened a very long time. In 2010, I was at a meeting of the inhabitants of my district with the former mayor of Krasnodar Vladimir Evlanov. During this meeting, he, answering the question of building kindergartens, said that he did not intend to build kindergartens. Then I decided to politicize this issue. I joined the Yabloko party. We conducted a coordinated picket demanding to build a kindergarten. And the very next day, the mayor spoke on TV and said that he would think about the construction of kindergartens. From 2010 to 2014, I was a member of the Yabloko party.

- Are you working in your specialty now?

- temporarily not. I am now getting a second education - legal.

-And when you worked as a doctor, at work you were pressure due to political activity?

-In Krasnodar, almost all activists are pressure on a particular line-for someone at work, someone through relatives, someone is beaten. For example, last year the coordinator of the “Voices” in the Kuban David Cankia was twice. In this regard, he was forced to leave the region.

Everything is in the hands of ordinary people

- And you do not receive threats?

-Recently, except for the scripture of some nasty things on my front door, I have not received any personal threats.

- There were reports of pressure on your son .

- So far, my son is all right. I am glad about this. Let's see what will happen next.

- Have you had thoughts about emigration?

- No, in any case. Russia is my homeland. I love her. And I hope that everything will be fine with me and in the country.

-Do you believe that an ordinary person can change something in the country?

- I think that the situation in the country depends on millions of Russian citizens. Everything is in the hands of ordinary people, ”Yana Antonova is convinced.

The activist also noted that he is no longer the coordinator of Open Russia, since on March 30 the Krasnodar branch of the organization was liquidated.

The case of Yana Antonova can be the third in the country by a well -known criminal case about participation in the activities of a foreign organization recognized as undesirable in Russia. In January 2019, a criminal case was opened in Rostov-on-Don against a member of the Federal Council of Open Russia Anastasia Shevchenko . Now she is under house arrest. The second thing - concerns the Yekaterinburg journalist Maxim Vernikov , who, until February 2019, headed the local branch of Open Russia. He is under the subscription about the loss.

In 2017, the Russian authorities recognized as undesirable to the Open Russia Civic Movement and Or (Otkrytaya Rossia) structures and related to Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia stated that this would not affect the work of the Russian movement of the same name, but after that the website of Open Russia was blocked, and later the portal of the MBH Media portal. The police regularly breaks the events of Open Russia, delay and fines its activists.