"Kostya holds like a man!"

The case of Konstantin Kotov a year later: an unspoken ban on communication and “torture” with entertainment channels

A year ago, an inconsistent campaign was held in Moscow for admission of opposition candidates for elections to the Moscow City Duma. The protest ended with mass arrests and initiation of a series of criminal cases against protesters. More than 30 people fell under the rink of the same type of “Moscow case”, some of which were sentenced to real terms. The process is worth the process against the activist Konstantin Kotov, who was convicted of four years in the colony for “repeated violation of the rules of the rally or demonstration” (Article 212.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

Four years of conclusion - for four peaceful single pickets, after which no one was injured. At the same time, two dozen participants of last year’s action announced the beating of security forces, and as a result, zero of criminal cases.

Along with this, the Investigative Committee managed to beat all the records during the investigation of the Kotov case: on August 13, 2019, the activist was charged, and on the 15th SK announced the end of investigative actions. The defense was perplexed over such a speed, no one understood what was happening. In less than a month, the case was transferred to the Tver court of Moscow, and after two meetings, the verdict was already ready. In October, the Moscow City Court upheld the decision and confirmed the legality of the sentence.

After the surge of public indignation and the issue at the annual press conference, Vladimir Putin instructed to verify the legality of the sentence to Kotov in January of this year. Only then did the Prosecutor General's office ask the activist to reduce the punishment, but not completely cancel, which the lawyers insist on.

The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation also entrusted his word. On January 27, 2020, the judges repeated the position previously set out in the decision in the case of Ildar Dadin, emphasizing that "imprisonment can only occur if the causing of real harm can occur." After that, the defense appealed to the second cassation court to revise the case.

There, the college of judges did not appreciate the rush of colleagues from the first and appeal instances. In its definition, the cassation indicated that the Moscow City Court committed "significant violations of the law that influenced the outcome of the case." In particular, the defense without motivation refused the interrogation of seven witnesses and the study of the conclusion of a linguist, the arguments of lawyers indicating violations of the trial in the first instance were not checked.

Although, as established, the Moscow City Court granted the prosecutor’s request to study the criminal case materials and in the sentence referred to them “as evidence of guilt”, the materials were not studied by the trial court.

Actually, what adversarity of the parties could we talk about?

Nevertheless, the cassation court did not dare to completely cancel the sentence. They sent the case for a review to the Moscow City Court. The appeal corrected the work on the mistakes only in terms of punishment: softened the term of imprisonment up to one and a half years, otherwise - unchanged. And Kotova Mosgorsud called the Law and the participation in them “destructive behavior”. However, there was not a word about any “destructiveness” in the case file.

There are only four administrative offenses, of which one criminal case came out.

Kotov went out with a poster in defense of political prisoners, including in support of the defendants in the "new greatness". Then he met the accused in this case by Anna Pavlikova. For a long time they talked while Kotov was free, and on October 17, 2019 they got married in a pre -trial detention center. In early July, the mother of Ani Julia Vinogradova, along with Kotov’s parents, visited him in the colony.

“Kostya is optimistic, but worries that Anya’s case will not be resolved. Then it was not known about the date of the sentence [by “new greatness”]. It seems to me that he is already set to freedom. I missed it very much, wants to embrace my mother elementary, talk to everyone humanly. On a date, communication with us was carried out through glass and by phone, ”Vinogradova recalled.

After transferring the case from one court to another, Kotov was returned to the IK-2 of Pokrov, Vladimir Region. As the “new” lawyer Maria Aismont told, this is the “red” colony, which some of her employees are not without pride, in the sense that there are no extortions, drugs and some other dangers.

But there is a strict regime, humiliation of human dignity, psychological pressure and some “discontinuation”.

“Despite all this, Kostya has an absolutely peppy mood, he did not lose heart, is vividly interested in everything that is happening. To say that he is good there, my tongue will not turn. There are many questions to this colony. Almost no one communicates with bones among the prisoners, because there is an unspoken ban on this, ”the defender is perplexed.

At least twice in a colony to Kotov, an unknown man in civilian clothes came: he had no idea, he only said that he was supposedly from the FSIN. He conducted conversations "for life." Eismont’s lawyer was interested in Kostya why he spoke with him at all. “No one is talking to me anyway. It was even pleasant to me, ”Kotov laughed.

The colony officers do not allow him to relax, load work or “special conversations” of an educational nature, try to restore it or, as the FSINOVS say, “fix”.

Another such “correctional event” is to include exclusively entertainment television channels.

Previously, on TV, the news of federal channels have been twisted in the colony, but recently the prisoners have blocked access to any information, only “entertainment”.

Kotov is closely followed by each step. A step to the side is a reprimand.

So, since the end of 2019, the activist received five penalties: first for putting on the gloves that another prisoner lent him; In the inventory of personal belongings, the same gloves did not take into account in the document; “For an untidy look” - did not fasten one button; Two more penalties for not saying hello to the colony officers. The last "misconduct" was the reason for placing in a schizo. Kotov allegedly did not say hello to an employee of the FSIN, who was behind Kotov. Although that day they greeted twice.

“Kostya does not despair and understands everything. He told us on a date, which is somehow calmer in a schizo, you can read a lot, ”Vinogradova shared. - I remember, we watched the broadcast from the last meeting from the Moscow City Court, I saw how it was hard. Everyone expected that in May they would be released, but when they heard a court decision at 1.5 years old, it was something terrible. I can’t imagine how disgusting from all this Kostya. There was hope - and everything collapsed. Kostya wrote to us that he was upset, and for him it was the most difficult meeting. But he quickly picked himself up. "

Kotov’s defense filed a lawsuit against the Moscow Court of Moscow (at the plaintiff’s place of residence) to the colony administration. Kotov demands to recognize the disciplinary sanctions that he received in the colony, and also recognize the refusal to allow his lawyer to meet the disciplinary commission in the colony. The meeting is scheduled for July 31, the prisoner will take part in the hearings by video communication.

In a conversation with the “new” dad Konstantin, Alexander Nikolaevich Kotov, is very worried about his son’s health, says that there is no medicine in the colony, and he is not helped. According to Kotov Sr., the son complains of a skin itch that bothers him for a long time.

Moreover, many prisoners have similar symptoms. The sanitary conditions in the IR are disgusting, among the doctors there is one coming paramedic, no one can inspect Konstantin and make a diagnosis, Alexander Nikolaevich is concerned.

“But still Kostya holds like a man! At the very beginning, he had vigor and enthusiasm, he felt that he could overcome this lie. But a year later, this “untruth” defeats a person, and now you are reacting otherwise to this situation, ”continued Konstantin's father. - We have a completely different life after the sentence. I did not suspect that we could have this in our state that we built and defended.

It turns out that there is a situation when there is no fault, but you are hostage.

We are also hostages of this situation. Maybe even more than Kostya himself. You constantly think about him and worry. ”

Eismont’s lawyer added that the defense appealed the decision of the Moscow City Court and the materials had already entered the second cassation court. Another meeting will be scheduled in the near future.