130 thousand people signed Novaya's petition demanding that the mass riot case be stopped

Novaya Gazeta's petition demanding to stop the criminal case on mass riots (Article 212 of the Criminal Code) against participants in peaceful protests in Moscow signed More than 130,000 people . The open letter is addressed to the head of the Investigative Committee (IC) of Russia Alexander Bastrykin.

“Contrary to the Constitution of Russia, citizens who peacefully defended their rights are now subjected to criminal prosecution for their beliefs. <…>

We believe that the criminal case on the riots is being used to intimidate the people of Russia and effectively ban the exercise of our voting rights,” the open letter says.

Among the signatories of the petition are musician Miron Oxxxymiron Fedorov, directors Kirill Nenashev, Olga Sinyaeva, Maria Muskevich, writer Marina Vishnevetskaya, politicians and political scientists Yevgeny Roizman, Lyubov Sobol, Ekaterina Shulman, Maria Snegovaya, human rights activists Dmitry Krayukhin, Andrey Yurov, Lidia Shulgina, journalists Zoya Svetova, Elizaveta Osetinskaya, Evgenia Albats, Konstantin von Eggert, Professor Gasan Huseynov, aviation expert Vadim Lukashevich and many others.

Since July 14, protests have been held in Moscow demanding the registration of independent candidates for elections to the Moscow City Duma. Unsanctioned rallies on July 27 and August 3 became the most massive. According to OVD-Info, more than a thousand people were detained at each of the rallies.

After the rally on July 27, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on the "use of violence against government officials" and "mass riots." 14 people became defendants in the joint case: Sergey Abanichev, Vladislav Barabanov, Yegor Zhukov, Kirill Zhukov, Evgeny Kovalenko, Daniil Konon, Alexei Minyailo, Ivan Podkopaev, Samariddin Radjabov, Dmitry Vasilyev, Valery Kostenok, Sergey Fomin, Danila Beglets and Aidar Gubaidullin. Another person is wanted.