Kotova test

Why did the president invite the new Prosecutor General to complete the "Moscow case"

President Putin instructed the new Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov to verify the legality of the verdict against activist Konstantin Kotov, convicted of participating in peaceful rallies. Kotov received four years in colony under the “Dadinskaya” article 212.1 of the Criminal Code, which punishes citizens for repeated violations in the organization of public meetings. The investigation accused Kotov of the fact that administrative protocols were drawn up for him four times for six months during his shares in defense of political prisoners.

The “Dadinskaya” article causes sharp discontent in society and is not actually applied: Kotov became the second person who received a real term on it.

The article was generally adopted in 2014 rather as a measure of political intimidation of protesters than as a working legal norm. In 2017, the Constitutional Court recommended that the parliamentarians bring clarifications to the article, according to which criminal liability could occur only if the protesters of public harm are caused. These recommendations were ignored, but Dadin’s sentence was canceled.

In recent months, it is in the support of Kotov that the most intense public campaign has been going on. Even people who are far from the Russian opposition, it is clear that he did not commit crimes. Kotov is actively supported, including abroad: in particular, former political workers Oleg Sentsov and Ukrainian sailors held in the Russian prison. The order of President Putin in the Prosecutor General in this context may pursue several goals.

Firstly, the authorities can achieve a reduction in the degree of public tension on the eve of the change in the constitution. The new political agenda, proposed by the Kremlin in response to a call of 2024 and based on the political crisis of the summer-ashen of 2019, does not exclude repression, but makes them somewhat untimely. Now it is much more relevant to maintain a semblance of legality in everything, because it is better to renovate the constitution and renew the relations of the president and citizens "in an atmosphere of openness and trust." In this sense, with his gesture, Putin can demonstrate that the further expansion of the “Moscow business” is inappropriate. If the accusation against Kotov is removed, this will be a formal conclusion to the persecution of peaceful protesters, who were originally accused of “riots” according to the main, 212nd, article. Today, accusations of violence against violence against representatives of the authorities and the Kotov case remained from the “riots”.

Secondly, Putin formally demonstrates with his assignment that the Prosecutor General Krasnov Dan Cart Blanche for Review of cases,

In particular, the revision of the repressive heritage of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin. If Krasnov takes advantage of the moment and achieves a revision of Kotov’s case, this will mean a new balance of forces between the UK and the prosecutors, and the pendulum will noticeably swing in favor of the latter.

However, the abnormal logic of the political process of the 2020 model can lead to the exact opposite conclusions. In this scenario, the revision of the case of Kotov’s case will not happen, the new leadership of the Prosecutor General’s Office will conclude about the legality of the persecution of citizens for a peaceful protest. This will mean that the persecution of activists will continue, and the constitution will need to be taken on bayonets. In the end, one of the first orders of the new Prime Minister Mishustin was reduced to the introduction of new surcharges to the security forces, dispersing protests.

Look who

The film "Novaya Gazeta" about "Moscow business"