The former coordinator of Navalny's headquarters was interrogated in a criminal case in the wake of the 2018 rally

The Investigative Committee for the Rostov Region interrogated Sergei Grivko, an activist and member of the political council of the Rostov Solidarity, as a witness under an article on the use of violence against a police officer (Article 318 of the Criminal Code). Grivko himself told about this to OVD-Info.

The case relates to a rally against raising the retirement age, which took place on September 9, 2018 at Theater Square in Rostov-on-Don. Grivko participated in the organization of the rally.

“I was the coordinator of Navalny’s headquarters at that moment. We applied to hold a rally on Theater Square, but the city administration refused to approve us, hastily organizing a sporting event there. However, according to city legislation, if the events do not interfere with each other, then they can be held simultaneously. Therefore, despite the refusal, we managed to hold an event near the fountain on Theater Square,” the activist said in an interview with SOTA.

Since the fall of 2018, Grivko has not been involved in the activities of the headquarters of Alexei Navalny.

The activist was detained by officers in civilian clothes an hour after the start of the rally. During the arrest, he received blows to the face and ribs. In OP No. 7 of the Proletarsky district of Rostov-on-Don, where the detainee was brought along with the SMM manager of the headquarters, they did not let a lawyer in and did not provide water. Because of the blows received, Grivko was taken to the hospital, he was diagnosed with a soft tissue injury. As a result of the detention, the activist was sentenced to two days of arrest under the article on repeated violation of the rules for holding a rally (part 8 of article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses).

On March 15, 2021, an investigator called Serhiy Grivko and summoned him for questioning as a victim allegedly following a statement from the hospital in connection with his arrest at a rally in 2018. The activist appeared, but refused to explain, because he was questioned on the fact of beating the policemen.

On March 31, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under the article on the use of violence against a police officer (Article 318 of the Criminal Code). Grivko was interrogated on April 13, he said he could not remember the faces of the people who hit the two policemen.

This is the second criminal case in which the activist is involved as a witness. On the eve of the rally on January 23, police officers were on duty at the apartment of Sergei Grivko, and on the day of the rally, they came to him with a search, confiscated his phone, laptop and tablet. After that, the activist was taken to the police department and interrogated in the case of incitement to mass riots (part 3 of article 212 of the Criminal Code). With the accused, a 17-year-old teenager who pleaded guilty on the same day, Grivko was not familiar.

“Perhaps this is due to the upcoming elections. Last year I participated in the elections of deputies of the city duma, and I was “hacked to death” there according to the Moscow scenario with fake signatures. I sued them, but got nothing. Perhaps I will be elected this year, I may also be connected with this, ”the activist explained in a conversation with OVD-Info.

• In the summer of 2018, a bill was submitted to the State Duma on a phased increase in the retirement age in the country from 2019. Women - up to 63 years, men - up to 65. President Vladimir Putin announced plans to soften the amendments, reducing the retirement age for women to 60 years. In the final version, the law fixed the following retirement age: 60 years for women and 65 years for men. Across Russia, opponents of this initiative went to protests. In total, according to OVD-Info, more than 1,018 people were detained.