News digest for June 4

The signing of a law prohibiting those involved in the activities of “extremist organizations” from participating in elections, real deadlines for Jehovah’s Witnesses and fines for activists - read about the main things for June 4 in the OVD-Info digest.

• Vladimir Putin signed a law that prohibits those who worked in “extremist organizations,” publicly supported them or donated money, as well as provided advisory and other assistance, from participating in elections at all levels. The court will establish involvement in the activities of such organizations.
• Anas Gimazetdinov, a defendant in the Hizb ut-Tahrir case in Tatarstan, was placed in a punishment cell. He complains of health problems.
• A participant in protests in defense of the Kushtau Shikhan in Bashkortostan was detained by police. The activist is accused of using violence dangerous to life and health against a government official.
• Four Jehovah's Witnesses from Kursk - Andrei Andreev, Andrei Ryshkov, Alevtina and Artem Bagratyanov - were given actual sentences ranging from 2 to 4.5 years in prison. Their co-religionist Alexander Vospitanyuk was sentenced to two years probation. The prosecution requested a real sentence for Jehovah's Witnesses from Birobidzhan, Tatyana Sholner, and searches were carried out at the premises of Jehovah's Witnesses from the Astrakhan region, Anna Safronova, and her mother. Cases were brought against believers under the article on the activities of an “extremist organization.”
• The court refused to exclude the publication Meduza from the list of “foreign agents.” The decision was made despite the fact that the Ministry of Justice was unable to attach to the case documents confirming foreign funding of the publication.
• The coordinator of Siberia Legal, Dmitry Kamynin, said that security forces “brutally beat” him during detention and interrogation. At the moment, the human rights activist is under arrest due to a criminal drug case.
• An Open Russia activist, who announced her liquidation in May, was fined 15 thousand rubles because of a post on VKontakte. The court found him guilty of operating an “undesirable organization.”
• In Orenburg, the authorities refused to approve a procession dedicated to the exorcism of demons from the city hall building. Officials cited coronavirus restrictions.
• A court in Vladivostok imposed a fine of 10 thousand rubles on a local activist. She was found guilty of organizing a car rally in support of political prisoners, which took place in mid-May. A resident of Kaliningrad was also fined for organizing an uncoordinated action; the reason for initiating an administrative case was the activist’s hunger strike near the city administration building.
• The labor inspectorate began an inspection of Mosgortrans after a complaint about the dismissal of employees who registered on the “Free Navalny!” website.