OVD-Info demands that the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs immediately release lawyer Mansur Gilmanov

The lawyer came to the police department to assist his client, our other colleague, FBK lawyer Vladlen Los (citizen of the Republic of Belarus), who had previously been detained in Moscow to present a notice of the need to leave Russia before January 25, 2021. “Apology of Protest” reported that a police officer knocked Gilmanov down with blows and put him face down on the floor; they want to charge the lawyer with disobedience to a lawful order of a police officer (Article 19.3 of the Administrative Code). At the time of publication of this statement, the lawyer was left in the department overnight, and the defense lawyer was not allowed to see him.

What happened is completely unacceptable. Lawyers play a key role in ensuring and protecting human rights and therefore enjoy special legal protection and immunity. Violations of the rights of lawyers themselves undermine the foundations of the rule of law as such. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case - recently, lawyers have regularly been faced with the inability to provide their professional assistance to detainees due to opposition from police officers. Violation of the rights of lawyers always leads to a violation of human rights in general - in this case, of a specific person, Gilmanov’s client - FBK lawyer Vladlen Los.

We appeal to the Minister of Internal Affairs Vladimir Kolokoltsev with a demand to immediately release Mansur Gilmanov and provide him with the opportunity to provide legal assistance to Vladlen Los. We demand that the Minister ensure that all police officers respect the rights and freedoms of lawyers and their physical safety in police departments and during other contacts with department employees. We demand an immediate investigation into this incident and a public presentation of its results.

We also appeal to the Commissioner for Human Rights, Tatyana Moskalkova, with a request to investigate this incident and use her powers to ensure unquestioning respect for the rights of lawyers and jurists.

We call on the legal and human rights community to take a united and active position in support of lawyer Mansur Gilmanov and lawyer Vladlen Los, deprived of legal assistance.