Bullying, beaten Ukrainians and tea cards: a native of Kazakhstan fined under the “rally” article speaks about his expectation of deportation to Sakharovo

I lived in the center of Moscow. I knew that there would be [anti-war] rallies on February 26, but I didn’t really see any protesters. We were just walking with a friend from Kazakhstan that day. Towards evening, I decided to pick up my sister from work; we wanted to go out to dinner together.

And so I stood on the bridge near the church next to the Kremlin, I wanted to cross to the other side of the river, but everything there was already blocked. I asked the police officer how best to get around. He showed me the way, and after about a minute and a half another employee came up to me, asked for my ID and said, “Come with me.”

I thought that everything would be like in Kazakhstan: they would explain to me, as a normal person, on what grounds I was being detained, and they would tell me about my rights. But nothing was explained to me. The employee only said on the radio: “They found another Kyrgyz.” I told him that I was actually from Kazakhstan. And he says to my face: “You’re all from the same ass, don’t get fucked.” I was simply shocked.

Then they took me into a paddy wagon, and the doors closed right behind me. As I understand it, some kind of performance had already begun there: they needed to quickly take as many people as possible, and they detained everyone who passed by. Well, who at least somehow stood out in appearance - with me in the paddy wagon, for example, there was a girl with blue hair.

We were all loaded up and taken to the police department in the Zhulebino district. They kept us there for a very long time. In the end, everything was processed for everyone, because everyone had Russian passports, and as soon as they saw my Kazakh passport, they began to twirl it in all directions. And then they say: “You stay, you have two days of immigration overdue.” Although it was written on my migration card that I could stay on the territory of the Russian Federation from January 24 to April 24. They later explained to me that after the first month it was necessary to register, but I didn’t know about it then. Besides, I thought it would be easier to pay when you get caught.

After the police found the delay, they took me to another department, where I spent five days already. It was terrible: the room is tiny, there is no light, to go to the toilet you have to knock on the door for a long time and ask to be taken. They fed us there once a day with buckwheat. A serving of 150 grams is approximately less than what is prescribed for a child.

Then there was a trial. It was immediately clear from the judge what the decision would be. The poor Kyrgyz and Uzbeks prepared speeches, but they weren’t even allowed into the courtroom. They just stood in the corridor, and then they were given court orders to expel them.

I was charged with violating the established procedure for holding a rally (Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code) and violating migration legislation (Article 18.8 of the Administrative Code). I explained that I was already planning to leave Russia; I had bought a ticket for April 4th. They didn't even look at it. According to the “rally” article, I was given a fine of 20 thousand rubles, and for violating migration legislation I was sent to the Center for Detention of Foreign Citizens (TSVSIG) in Sakharovo, near Moscow.

I was sure that if I was expelled for the first time, I would just have to pay a fine or leave on my own, but I did not expect, of course, that I would be punished like that for this. Now, in general, the entire system in Russia is absolutely not working due to military operations. We were brought to Sakharovo, for example, on the first day, we sat there from 11 pm to six in the morning, and in the end they did not accept us. Then we were taken back to the police department, and then again to Sakharovo.

As I understand it, the problem is that the [isolation center in] Sakharovo is absolutely overcrowded now. Since February 24, everyone who does not look Russian has been detained, and everyone is eventually expelled.