Witnesses from the investigation in the case of Chechen bloggers and LGBTQ representatives Salekh Magamadov and Ismail Isaev said that they did not testify on their own: they simply signed a ready-made text issued by the investigator. This was reported to OVD-Info by the press secretary of the Crisis Group "SK SOS". Such a statement of witnesses was made during a meeting in the Achkhoy-Martanovsky District Court of the Chechen Republic, where the case of bloggers is being considered.

The Kuibyshevsky District Court of St. Petersburg changed the preventive measure for blogger Yuri Khovansky from detention to a ban on certain actions. this in a telegram. reports Khovansky's girlfriend Maria Nelyubova A blogger accused of justifying terrorism (Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code) because of a song about Nord-Ost was banned from certain actions. He cannot communicate with witnesses in the case, but he can communicate with the girl and parents as an exception.

The security forces detained the father of the former director of the Corruption Fund (FBK) Ivan Zhdanov - Yuri Zhdanov, convicted for three years conditionally. Ivan Zhdanov reported this in his instructrah. “Crimeed“ Violation of the Nizards of the Departure and proper behavior ”. Just closed again to the pre-trial detention center, ”wrote Zhdanov Jr..

The prosecutor's office approved the charge against Kirill Skripin, the defendant in the case of vandalism in Rostov-on-Don because of the graffiti "PUTIN - THIEF". This was reported by Irina Gak, a lawyer cooperating with OVD-Info, representing the interests of the accused. The case against Skripin will be transferred to the Voroshilovsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don.

On December 21, the Central District Military Court in Yekaterinburg sentenced Azat Lukmanov to 11 years in a strict regime colony. This was reported by the Information and Analytical Center "Sova". Lukmanov was found guilty under the article on participation in the activities of a terrorist organization (part 2 of article 205.5 of the Criminal Code) - he was charged with involvement in the Islamist party Hizb ut-Tahrir, banned in Russia.

The Kuibyshevsky District Court of Omsk fined Roman King, a member of the Omsk civil association, two thousand rubles because of a meme on VKontakte. About this writes the publication "Siberia.Realii". King was charged with displaying Nazi symbols (part 1 of article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) because of the publication of a picture depicting three men in Nazi uniforms detaining a woman, and three police officers who also detain a woman.

OVD-Info filed an appeal against the decision to block our site, taken by the Lukhovitsky District Court of the Moscow Region on December 20. Roskomnadzor carried out the blocking on the night of December 25. In the appeal, OVD-Info demanded to be given an opportunity to get acquainted with the case materials, on the basis of which the decision was made to block the resource.

The attempt to destroy major human rights organizations is only the beginning of broader pressure and increased repression against all civil society. We see that the state does not want and is not ready to enter into dialogue either with society or with independent institutions. This is a clear signal to all of us: we can shut you down when we need to.

The former coordinator of the headquarters of Navalny in Murmansk Violetta Grudin was put on the wanted list on a criminal article. The new newspaper drew attention to the card in the base of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The card states that the search is “under the article of the Criminal Code”, but the article itself is not called.

In Arkhangelsk, Vladimir Kogut, a participant in a protest against the introduction of QR codes on December 12, was detained. This was reported to OVD-Info by Olga Elsakova. Kogut is being taken to the Oktyabrsky District Court. There will be considered a case of disobedience to a policeman (part 1 of article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). According to the reporter, police officers were on duty at the house of the protester for several days until they managed to detain him.

The Moscow City Court upheld the claim of the prosecutor's office and liquidated the Memorial Human Rights Center, a structural partner of OVD-Info.

The Supreme Court refused to transfer the case of the ex-director of Open Russia Andrei Pivovarov to St. Petersburg. This is reported by the telegram channel “Team Pivovarov”. The court considered that the case should be considered in Krasnodar. “Not only is the very essence of the criminal charge brought against me completely Kafkaesque, even by modern Russian standards, <…> the trial was also transferred to a region, as if specially designed for executions.

On December 21, the Nyazepetrovsky District Court of the Chelyabinsk Region arrested Dmitry Petukhov, a supporter of Citizens of the USSR, for six days under the article on inciting hatred and enmity (Article 20.3.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). This is reported by Znak, information about the case is published on the website of the court.

On November 9, the Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok decided to return the case of Jehovah's Witnesses Konstantin and Snezhana Bazhenov and Vera Zolotova for retrial to the appellate instance. This was reported on a website covering the persecution of believers.

On December 28, 2021, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation made a decision to liquidate Memorial International and its regional branches, and on December 29, the Moscow City Court issued a similar decision on the lawsuit filed by the Moscow prosecutor's office against our partner, Memorial Human Rights Center. This directly affects the work of OVD-Info.