Witness from the tablet: why mathematician Azat Miftakhov is being tried

Mathematician and anarchist Azat Miftakhov, accused of hooliganism at the office of United Russia in the Moscow district of Khovrino, will meet the beginning of the trial in the Butyrka pre-trial detention center, now he is getting acquainted with the case. According to the investigation, Miftakhov's “criminal activity” included, among other things, participation in actions in support of political prisoners. Two more cases have been singled out for separate proceedings.

Punctual anarchist

Miftakhov was detained in early February 2019, they planned to accuse him of involvement in explosives found in Balashikha near Moscow. Miftakhov said that they tried to beat him out of confessions by force. Human rights activists recorded traces of a screwdriver on his body.

Azat could not be charged with this episode, but was sent to a pre-trial detention center on another case: shortly before his arrest in the Moscow district of Khovrino, glass was broken in the office of United Russia and a flare was thrown there. These actions were filmed, it got on anarchist resources in social networks.

The presence of Miftakhov during the events in Khovrino is "confirmed" by a certain secret witness. The “witness” says that Azat was wearing a mask, but he recognized him by his “expressive eyebrows.” According to the investigation, Miftakhov “observed the situation <…> at the United Russia office in order to warn his accomplices of a possible danger.”

Miftakhov was known among anarchists in Moscow, does not deny his views. in anonymous Telegram channels allegedly connected with law enforcement agencies . In June 2018 and January 2019, Miftakhov was threatened and demanded to stop his social activities

- Azat is always very responsible for what he undertakes, a person with versatile knowledge and interests. Never late. When he was free, he helped other political prisoners,” recalls the anarchist Matvey.

Miftakhov's lawyer, Svetlana Sidorkina, says that while awaiting trial, her client spends time in a pre-trial detention center solving mathematical problems, and is in correspondence with fellow scientists.

From vandalism to hooliganism

In the case of a broken window in Khovrino, in addition to Azat, there are other defendants.

Andrey Eikin, who allegedly filmed what was happening on video, admits his guilt. During the preparation of the text, it was not possible to contact him. Elena Gorban (according to the investigation, she broke a window in the United Russia office) denies her guilt, the accused Alexei Kobaidze (according to the investigation, threw a flare into the broken window) left Russia. It was also not possible to contact Kobaidze.

Of all the accused in the case of the events in Khovrino, only Miftakhov is in the pre-trial detention center. According to his lawyer Svetlana Sidorkina, this is due to the fact that at the time of detention, her client had an outstanding criminal record.

At the same time, it was precisely when Miftakhov became a defendant in the Khovrino case that he was reclassified from “vandalism” to “hooliganism.” Article "Hooliganism" (213 of the Criminal Code) allows keeping suspects in a pre-trial detention center.

Anarchists Svyatoslav Rechkalov and Yevgeny Sergeeva, who were detained as part of the investigation of the Khovrinsky case, left Russia.

sentry from correspondence

“During the search, a broken tablet was seized from Miftakhov, but they managed to open the tablet, there was correspondence connected with the [anarchist group] People’s Self-Defense.” From this correspondence, an artificial secret witness was born, who was named Guard. It's funny, but it's true. Karaulny claims that since 2015 he was in the "People's Self-Defense", and Miftakhov was also there. That Miftakhov participated in various pickets, and was also involved in airsoft and some kind of martial arts. Apparently, with these testimonies they substantiate the motive for setting fire to the office of United Russia,” says Sidorkina.

At the time of publication of the text, OVD-Info did not receive a comment from the People's Self-Defense. also attached to the criminal case. A list of several dozen Internet pseudonyms and surnames of people who, according to the security forces, are involved in the activities of the People's Self-Defense, is

“No one recognized the People’s Self-Defense as extremist,” Sidorkina notes.

But this doesn't bother investigators. OVD-Info has a decision to bring Miftakhov as a defendant dated December 26, 2019, drawn up by an investigator from the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Northern Administrative District of Moscow, where they are investigating what happened in Khovrino. Among other things, the resolution says (literally): “The activity of the People’s Self-Defense movement was to promote the anarchist ideology of views, namely, to call for a fight against the authorities, including by force. He, Miftakhov A.F., being a member of this criminal group, propagandized the denial of political power, while studying political literature, and also took part in illegal extremist actions organized by the "People's Self-Defense", pickets in support of "political prisoners" anarchists and anti-fascists etc., reports of which appeared on the resources of the People's Self-Defense.

Similar wording about "People's Self-Defense" - and in the decision to bring Gorban as a defendant. It says that "People's Self-Defense" "uses acts of vandalism and hooliganism, attacks on administrative buildings and state institutions in order to destabilize the socio-political situation in Russia, as well as to carry out an unconstitutional change of power by organizing mass riots in the city of Moscow according to the scenario of "colored revolutions."

Hashish and roller

One of the possible conditions for the application of Article 213 of the Criminal Code (“Hooliganism”) is the presence of items used as weapons.

- The chemical examination did not recognize the smokehouse as a weapon. But they added a survey of an expert to the case, who says some kind of game: you never know what happens in these chimneys, and suddenly it was poisonous, it depends on the manufacturer, which we don’t know, ”says Elena Gorban, a person involved in the case.

Sidorkina notes that the investigation decided that the flare, which was thrown into the broken window of the office in Khovrino, could create a fire hazard.

According to Gorban, the main evidence against her and Eikin in the case is their own confession, which they gave at the beginning of the investigation, as well as correspondence between the activists, which the security forces were able to seize. Participants in the events in Khovrino were identified from street cameras, but this is not evidence in the case.

- At the trial, we will try to go to a softer article: denying the use of weapons, political hatred and, in general, “gross violation of public order” (all these are qualifying signs of Article 213 of the Criminal Code - OVD-Info ) . It was at night on a deserted street,” says Gorban.

Miftakhov denies his presence during the events at the United Russia office in Khovrino.

Gorban also notes that a separate proceeding has been allocated a criminal case under Article 280 of the Criminal Code, for publishing a video with the events in Khovrino. Operational support of the case is provided by the Center for Combating Extremism. No charges have been filed against him yet.

Anarchist Svyatoslav Rechkalov was detained on suspicion of administering the resources of the "People's Self-Defense" and publishing a video from Khovrino. The anarchist told OVD-Info that he was beaten during his arrest. Rechkalov also noted that the video from Khovrino was first posted to the network not in the public “People's Self-Defense”, which only reposted this video.

Svetlana Sidorkina says that the case of a bag of hashish found during a search at Miftakhov's house has also been separated into a separate proceeding.

- It's small in weight. Apparently, they did not calculate when they planted it, - the lawyer explains that Miftakhov was not accused of drug trafficking.

Now the stage of familiarization with the Khovrino case is underway. Soon he should be transferred to the prosecutor's office. According to Sidorkina, the main investigative actions in the case over the course of many months were two examinations - a flare thrown through a broken office window and Miftakhov's old tablet:

“I am surprised: a person has been in custody for more than a year for breaking glass, and this is being presented as an effective investigation!