Persecution of the anti-war movement report. May 2024

During the presidential elections in March, people were detained in various cities and towns across Russia for expressing their anti-war position by writing on ballots. Anti-war picketing and detentions also continued in Novosibirsk and in the Bryansk region. In April, the Tverskoy District Court in Moscow sentenced local resident Denis Khamidullin to 14 days of arrest for uttering «No to war» near the Red Square.

In Simferopol, the Russian law enforcement detained 50-year-old Nikolay Mazanka for «discussing the subject of Ukraine» in the courtyard of an apartment building. This was not the only detention in this building: law enforcement officers burst through the window into the apartment of Elena and Aleksander Avdeev from the annexed city of Yevpatoria following the couple’s neighbours’ report that they had been singing Ukrainian songs and saying «Glory to Ukraine!»

REPRESSIONS AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL

Status of repressive draft laws as of May 23, 2024

Among the latest legislative initiatives is the draft law «On the genocide of the multi-ethnic Russian nation during the Great Patriotic War» and an amendment to the Federal law «On the Library Case». The Ministry of Culture has developed guidelines that grant libraries the right to limit access to books by «foreign agents» or authors placed on the Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring) list.

The essence of repressive laws introduced since the beginning of the full-scale invasion

Criminal Cases

Between 24 February and 20 May of this year, 74 people became defendants in criminal anti-war lawsuits, including writer Mkhail Zygar, feminist activist Zalina Marshenkulova, DOXA journalist Maria Menshikova, Forbes journalist Sergey Mingazov and former deputy of the Yekaterinburg Municipal Duma Yevgeniy Borovik.

Number of Defendants in «Anti-War» Cases Prosecuted Under Each of the Article

Over the past 3 months, there have been 68 convictions in anti-war cases, 43 of which include a prison sentence.

Between February and May 2024, the following defendants received their sentences:

·       Co-chair of «Memorial» Oleg Orlov — 2.5 years in prison

·       RusNews journalist and admin of Telegram channel «Chestnoye Korolyovskoye!» Roman Ivanov — 7 years in prison

·       Chita teenagers Lyubov Lizunova, 16, and Aleksander Snezhkov, 19 — 3.5 and 6 years in prison, respectively

·       Anti-war activist Angel Nikolayev — 15 years in prison

·       Former journalist of Russia’s National Television and Radio Broadcasting Company Sergey Kornilevsky — 2.5 years in prison

·       Novosibirsk resident Ilya Baburin, 24 — 25 years in prison

In addition, we are aware of at least 13 instances of violence against defendants in anti-war cases that have occurred over the past 3 months. For example, Anton Zhuchkov, who received a jail sentence of 9 years and 10 months for his intention to set fire to a police van, said he had been tortured in Krasnoyarsk Pre-trial Detention Center-1. When he refused to cooperate with the administration of the Detention Center, he was transferred to a cell with inmates, who were cooperating with the administration. They beat Zhuchkov up and threatened to rape him if he did not sign a cooperation agreement with the administration.

Ivan Kudryashov, a locksmith from Tver, sentenced to 4 years and 10 months in a colony for making preparations to set fire to a military recruitment office, was receiving haloperidol injections in unknown dosages. This happened after his mental state had worsened due to a 40-day hunger strike and prolonged solitary confinement.

Moscow resident Timofey Mokhnenko and his wife were handcuffed and thrown face down on the floor by law enforcement officers during a search, while the man was also tortured by a taser. They were also forced to «say all sorts of things» for a video.

Defendants were also subjected to other forms of pressure. For example, RusNews journalist Maria Ponomarenko sentenced for disseminating military «fakes» went on a hunger strike in Barnaul Pre-Trial Detention Center-1 after being placed in a punishment cell. And Krasnodar resident Aleksander Somryakov serving a 6-year sentence for spreading «fake information» about the Russian Army was stripped of his acquired Russian citizenship.

This month, 44 OVD-Info lawyers helped 77 defendants in 66 criminal «anti-war» cases in 43 cities. Our defense attorneys were dispatched to 4 interrogations in 4 cities and 2 searches in 2 cities.

ADMINISTRATIVE CASES

Number of cases filed in court under article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code (Discreditation of the Armed Forces) in Russia and in the annexed Republic of Crimea since March 2022

In March, voters, too, were charged under the article «On Discreditation of the Army». We are aware that in the Tula region and in Bashkortostan, voters were fined for writing on ballots. We are also aware of a fine issued to Elmo Karkotsky, who was collecting signatures for Boris Nadezhdin.

Since our last report, Timur Bulatov, a serial informer targeting the opposition and LGBTQ activists, has also been fined 50,000 roubles (approximately USD 550) under the article on discrediting the army.

The article «On discrediting the army» is not the only one being applied in cases of anti-war statements and symbols. Law enforcement officers also use Article 20.3 of the Administrative Code («Propaganda or public display of banned symbols»). We are aware of at least 23 such cases over the past 3 months. 

Fines are being issued for various messages and publications containing Ukrainian symbols. For example, Stary Krym resident Maria Zamiraylo, 64, was arrested for 5 days for an image of the Ukrainian trident published in «Odnoklassniki». And in Biysk, Yuri Golunov, 78, was fined 1,000 roubles (approximately USD 11) for «liking» an «Odnoklassniki» publication featuring the symbols of the Ukrainian regiment «Azov». On May 7, in the annexed city of Simferopol, the court heard an administrative case against local resident Oleg Gurtovoy accused of uploading the song «Chervona Kalina”(Ukrainian patriotic march) onto his „VKontakte“ page.

This article is also used to prosecute for various public statements and slogans. On April 16, the Nakhimov District Court in Sevastopol fined local resident Yevgeny Moiseev 1,000 roubles (approximately USD 11) for the slogan «Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Heroes!» In the Stavropol region, Aleksey Shipil was fined for shouting this same slogan in the evening in a courtyard. And in Tuva, local resident Dorzhu Tumen was arrested for 5 days: In a conversation with former members of the Russian military who had participated in the invasion of Ukraine, he, according to the court ruling, «clearly and in the presence of strangers uttered the slogan „Glory to Ukraine“.

Other articles have also been applied. The Khoroshevo-Mnevniki district Commission for Juvenile Affairs fined Petr Panov, 17, 2,000 roubles (approximately USD 22) for laying flowers to the Unknown Soldier’s grave on 24 February. The Simferopol district court of the annexed Republic of Crimea arrested for 15 days Yaroslav Boyko from the Perovo village for disobeying the police (Article 19.3 of the Administrative Code) because of a «VKontakte» publication saying that the Crimea is part of Ukraine.

In April and May, Ukrainian student Sergey Gulko was arrested 3 times after being denounced by other students because of his posts in support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Gulko was also ordered to leave Russia within 3 days but was unable to comply due to being placed in the special detention centre. Eventually, in May, Gulko quit his studies at the Moscow State University and was able to leave the country.

This month, OVD-Info defence attorneys participated in 20 administrative «anti-war» cases. Support OVD-Info

EXTRAJUDICIAL PRESSURE

Extrajudicial Pressure for Anti-War Stance

On 2 April, Dmitry Burakov, a lecturer at the Transport University, was detained during his class; he was fined for publications in «VKontakte» under the «discreditation» article on 3 April and fired on 4 April. 

Son of the «foreign agent» Elena Agafonova Aleksander, 22, was expelled from the Medical Military Academy. It has been clarified that after his dismissal Aleksander submitted his resignation from the military service, but his resignation was denied and he was ordered to report for duty on 4 May. In order not to participate in the war in Ukraine, the young man left Russia. His mother is now receiving phone calls from the military unit threatening criminal charges of desertion.

BLOCKING AND CENSORSHIP

«Kurier. Sreda. Berdsk» a news outlet from the Novosibirsk region, has shut down due to funding issues and the «military censorship».

YouTube has blocked access in Russia to videos on avoiding military service published in the channels «Shkola Prizyvnika» (Recruit School), «Dozor v Volgograde» (Volgograd Patrol) and in another independent regional media outlet.

LINKS TO OTHER OVD-INFO DATA AND REPORTS

• Persecution for anti-war views
• Wartime repression reports. January 2024, December 2023, November 2023, October 2023, September 2023, August 2023, July 2023, June 2023, May 2023, April 2023, March 2023, February 2023, January 2023, December 2022, October 2022, September 2022, August 2022, July 2022, June 2022
• Report in Russian «No war. How the Russian authorities are fighting anti-war protests»
• Report in Ukrainian «Ні війні»
• Guide «The anti-war case»
• The input of information in reply to the call for submissions: Challenges to freedom of opinion and expression in times of conflicts and disturbances.
• The Report on Civil Rights and Freedoms of Children
• Report «Blocking Internet resources as a tool of political censorship»
• Project on the law on «foreign agents» — «Inoteka».
• Report «How the authorities use cameras and facial recognition against protesters»
• Reports of OVD-Info and other organizations on the compliance of the Russian Federation with its international obligations in the field of human rights.