Reblogged with permission. Russia's 'justice' system is bringing new meaning to the term Kafkaesque in the legal assault on one brave pensioner protester. In the UK for years a similarly aged, anti-war lone protester literally camped opposite the Houses of Parliament. In Russia, one man holding up a sign is a huge threat to the system. Which is odd given the President's huge poll ratings is it not? His treatment also shows the impunity for those seen to be defending the Kremlin's interests, even when thuggishly.
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By Halya Colynash
The members of two pro-Kremlin organizations [NOD and SERB] who attacked an elderly pensioner holding a single-person picket outside the History Museum in Moscow on Oct 24 threatened to do the same to “all those who insult Putin, insult Russia”.
75-year-old Vladimir Ionov was standing alone with a placard reading “We have Putin, no need for a mind” when he was approached by Igor Beketov [who calls himself Gosha Tarasevich] from SERB who demanded to know why Ionov was insulting people who had voted for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Tarasevich claimed also that the words on the placard fall under Article 319 of the Criminal Code (insulting a representative of the authorities).
All of this was recorded on a video by Alexandra Ageeva. You can see activist Maria Ryabikova leaping in to defend Ionov, and being pushed away. They move away as the banner is grabbed and ripped to pieces, while others take photos with their phones.
No police officers came even close. It is quite likely, however, that they would have been there immediately had any other people tried to defend Ionov, since that would have provided an excuse to accuse Ionov and others of holding an ‘unauthorized gathering’.
Ionov’s trial is currently underway on surreal and disturbing charges. He is the first of four people so far to be tried under a new article of the Criminal Code which envisages up to 5-year sentences if a court has issued three rulings on administrative offences within 180 days. It is quite standard in today’s Russia for police to detain people at entirely peaceful protests, with administrative protocols then drawn up and processed by the courts with no questions asked. Three such unwarranted administrative penalties can now lead to criminal prosecution.
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| "We'll give up everything we have, but we'll save Assad!" |
On June 28 the authorities blocked Ionov’s pension card citing his non-payment of administrative fines as the reason. He is now, therefore, effectively deprived even of his pension.
At the preliminary hearing back on Sept 17, the judge asked Ionov if he understood what he is accused of. He replied that this was impossible to understand.
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| "The police state killed our Boris." |
Four people are now facing criminal proceedings under Article 212.1 of the Russian Criminal Code: Ionov; Mark Galperin; Ildar Dadin and Irina Kalmykova.
The Memorial HRC stated on Feb 4 that the new legislation destroys freedom of peaceful assembly in Russia (More details here: Russia criminalizes peaceful protest)
After the jump see video of Ionov being attacked. Pictures via Sarah Hurst.
See a surreal transcript from Ionov's trial.
See also:
- 75-year-old Russian activist could face 5 year sentence for peaceful protest
- Russia criminalizes peaceful protest
- This 75-year-old Russian pensioner may spend five years in prison for picketing
- Two jailed in Moscow for protesting against Navalny convictions
All this sounds so similar to the situation in Turkey. Almost any dissent against President Erdogan or the ruling party, AKP, is unfortunately dealt with very harshly, by the security services and/or the thugs sympathetic to Erdogan.
ReplyDeleteAnd, things will possibly get worse from now on, because the AKP won the general elections last week, with 49 percent of the total vote; and managed to form a government on their own. They will get even more oppressive.