Moscow opposition before the 2018 world Cup requires you to pay attention to the problem of political prisoners in Russia. At the rally in Moscow was talking about the cases of Oleg Sentsov, “Network” and “the New greatness”. A report DW with the action.The organizers of the rally “For a free Russia without repression and tyranny”, which is Sunday, June 10, was held in Moscow on the street Masha Poryvaeva, tried to pay attention to all the high-profile political cases in recent months. The action was attended by about 3,000 people.
Sentsov and other
The initiative group and organizing Committee of the rally included representatives of Parnassus, the “Open Russia”, “Apple”, “Civil initiative”, “Democratic choice”, movement “For human rights” and other organizations. Just three weeks ago in the same place have already passed the agreed opposition rally, and two weeks before that, the opposition has gathered about 10 thousand people against lock Telegram.
“Past meetings have been more for the freedom of the Internet, told DW the representative of the “Open Russia” Tatyana Usmanova. They gathered young people, who worry about what you can and cannot write on social media, and someone from the government reading their messages.” A rally June 10 on the political prisoners. “Today we are talking about the case “Network”, about Oleg Sentsov, about Cyril Serebrennikov, and other people who are innocently convicted in our country”, – said Usmanov. The representative of the “Open Russia” also noted that the date identified the world Cup: “This meeting is assembled to the eve of the championship, when all attention is on Russia, we were able to Express their opinion.”
The protesters were holding posters with the portraits and names of Russian political prisoners. Among them were many in support of Oleg Sentsov, who is already 28 days on hunger strike in prison. In his defense he made the film “the Process” Askold Kurov, “I have just returned from Labytnangi is a town in the Arctic circle, which contains Oleg Sentsov. Oleg in conversation said that he does not require anything from the Russian authorities. There is a simple condition of ending his hunger strike – to let go of all Ukrainian political prisoners who are in Russia”.
Kurov said that he was present at all court sessions and read all 12 volumes of the criminal case of Sentsov: “In fact, there is no more or less plausible evidence of his guilt. There are two cases of arson of offices of the party “United Russia”, which was carried out by other people. Oleg Sentsov to do this is irrelevant. Sentsov only fault is that he wasn’t afraid, not run away from his home when there came the people with whom he disagrees”. Askold Kurov said that as a filmmaker solidarized with Sentsov, “but it’s not that Oleg, our colleague, and that in his opposition he is very strong in this hunger strike, he asks for nothing for himself.”
Producer of documentary Maria Chuprinskaya added that handing out flyers in support of Sentsov on the streets, faced with aggression and indifference. “Some people said bad words about Ukraine, America. But the majority of people were just not interested”. At the same time, she stressed that Sentsov has stood up a lot of public figures: Alexander Sokurov, Andrei Zvyagintsev, Oksana Bychkova, Boris Khlebnikov. “A very important publicity, we need every vote,” said Czuprynska.
Parents of political prisoners on the podium
The organizers of the rally gave the organizations “Network” and “the New Greatness”, which convinced the defenders, fabricated by Russian security forces. Moscow anarchists came out with a large banner, which depicts portraits of the defendants in the case “Network”. Eight people are under investigation in Penza and St.-Petersburg already more than six months, the main evidence in the case – the confessions of suspects.
The mother of one of them, Dmitry Pchelintseva, who is charged with the organization of an extremist cell, is convinced that these confessions were extracted under torture: “People throw weapons, blackmail, threaten reprisals against their families, they were tortured. Torture – the trump card in the hands of the FSB. Torture is self-incrimination, this is for someone’s career,” – said Svetlana Pchelintseva from the scene.
Due to the fact that the case “Network” widely publicized, the relatives hope for an objective investigation. “I hope our struggle will lead to the fact that the country implemented human rights”, – concluded Dmitry’s mother Pchelintseva.
Also at the meeting was first publicly made by parents Anastasia and Maria Pavlikova Dubovik two girls who March in custody as suspects in the case of the creation of the extremist organization “the New greatness”. DW with them after the rally and talked separately. Girls, like 7 people that are accused of creating an extremist community for the purpose of “committing crimes on motives of political hatred of the existing activities on the territory of the Russian Federation constitutional system.”
“Taken away in handcuffs as the legitimate representative”
“When I presented this resolution, for me it was a dream, a delusion of some kind, I couldn’t believe it,” he told DW Natalia Sevastianova, mother Mary. I thought it was a mistake, probably set them up to someone real to hide. They are not politicised, they are obsessed with animals, birds, they did an environmental issue, separation of waste, save some trees”. According to Natalia, Masha and Nastya met at a veterinary conference. For the first time in November they went to the meeting, sat in McDonalds and talked to friends. And then they have to involve in this activity.
Father of Anastasia Pavlikova, which at the time of arrest was not yet 18 years old, said that she had found in the phone conversation with members of the “criminal community”. Anastasia was texting some Ruslan D. now it passes on business as the witness. Dmitry Pavlikov convinced that this man was a secret service agent: “He was a Secretary, an accountant, and he took the room, everything was organized, commanded, was given the job. He ridiculed: you here about the birds say, and it is necessary to engage in politics”. According to the father, Anastasia at some point became disillusioned and wanted to leave the community. “But Ruslan D. touts her there, saying “we need you, without you we are nothing.” He had exactly 9 people to bring under the article,” said Pavlik.
March 15 in an apartment Pavlakovich visited staff of the center “e”. “The whole house was upside down, furniture broken. Me too, in handcuffs taken as legal representative of the daughter”, – said Dmitry Pavlikov. According to him, the daughter said to blame everything on dad that I didn’t do it. “And my daughter told them is clear: dad is neither here nor there, leave him alone”, he added.
“It turns out we are sitting innocent”
In may, the court extended the arrest of Anastasia and Maria for another 4 months. The parents are convinced that detention is not necessary, and need to replace it with house arrest. “No particular action investigation is being conducted on a consequence not a cause – outraged Natalia Savostyanova. – They just consider the seized material. So there is no reason to detain them, all of the materials they already have”.
Her husband Sergei said that after his arrest his daughter, his political views changed. “We have always been in favor of Putin and United Russia. I work as an engineer, we in the construction of Crimean bridge took part, repaired vehicles. I believed that our country is strong and she is weak. It turns out that we have people sitting innocent. It is for me wildly,” said he. After the arrest of the daughter of Sergey Dubovik has questioned what he sees on the Central TV channels: “they say that the guys that are there on the posters, allegedly by terrorists. But I have to be honest, now the question arises whether it is really so.”
Shortly before the end of the meeting the parents of political prisoners came to the podium together with the group “Arkady Kots”, the soloists Kirill Medvedev and Oleg Zhuravlev performed the song “the Walls will collapse”, which since 2012 has become an informal anthem of the Moscow opposition.