New Laws Aim To Crush Even Mild Forms Of Protest In Russia

Grachev, 35, thought it was futile to take to the streets as protesters were dragged away by police for a few moments after waving signs. Marat Grachev, 35, stands at his computer repair shop in Moscow, where he was forced to change a screen that read “No War” and fined 100,000 rubles (Dmitry Kozlov / CBC)
So they found a digital solution. On one of their computer screens, they put the words “No War” in Russian, hoping that the act would send a long-term message to those who frequented his business. The sign lasted until March 31. “We are pleasantly surprised that we were able to work for a whole month and our customers did not hand us over,” Grachev told CBC in an interview at his Moscow store. Screenshot of a video recorded by Gradchev when police showed up at his computer repair shop in Moscow after a passer-by reported having a screen that read “No War” in Russian. (Submitted by Marat Grachev)
But that changed when a passerby noticed the screen and told staff he would call the police if they did not lower it. When they did not, the police showed up on March 31. Grachev recorded the interaction as a police officer grabbed the remote control to close the screen and began questioning all his staff, demanding that they get off at the station.
When Grachev asked if they could refuse, an officer told him that if they did, the police could take them by force. Grachev was eventually fined 100,000 rubles, equivalent to about $ 1,500 Cdn.

Hundreds of arrests

Grachev is one of at least 400 people fined or detained under new Russian laws targeting anyone deemed to defame the military or publish and distribute fake news, according to OVD-info, a Moscow-based human rights organization. which provides legal support in about a quarter of cases. Authorities opposed the protest with all available police forces, special services and the army, “said Roni Bar-On, a Member of the Knesset for Kadima. She was also a woman in the Crimea According to reports was held after someone thought that her blue and yellow manicure was too political – because her nails were in the colors of Ukraine. Absolutely crazy. St. Petersburg artist Alexandra Skochilenko is being held in custody pending criminal prosecution for spreading “false information” about the Russian military by exchanging war items on price tags at a local grocery store. A customer reported her to the police. pic.twitter.com/noDIeHIZOj – @ KevinRothrock
Legal observers say there has been a shift in rhetoric from government officials, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, encouraging citizens to uproot those who do not support what the country insists on calling a “special military operation” in Ukraine. Priests, teachers and activists have been detained and fined. Some face the prospect of years in prison. Grachev was detained at the police station for four hours and his phone was confiscated, but police said they initially warned he would be detained overnight and fined close to $ 5,000. He said the tone of the police officer he was dealing with changed dramatically when a “human rights defender” with OVD-Info appeared at the station. Alexandra Baeva, head of the legal department at OVD-info, says that in one case, police were called to a bar after a woman made a comment about the war in Ukraine. (Dmitry Kozlov / CBC)
The organization, which has been declared a foreign agent by the Russian government and one of its websites has been blocked, operates a hotline for people facing political persecution. Alexandra Baeva, who heads the legal department for OVD-info, said her team is aware of 15,000 arrests of anti-war protesters and more than 400 administrative cases related to the new laws since February 24. Online, this publishes A current list of cases includes a Crimean artisan accused of printing and distributing leaflets allegedly containing “false information” about the Russian army and a man from Moscow who was jailed for driving in the city with an anti-war flag in his car. . A criminal case has been opened against a teacher from Penza, a city 650 kilometers southeast of Moscow. In a recording shared on Russian social media, Irina Gen, 55, was recorded by someone in her class when one of the 8th graders asked why they could no longer participate in a European sporting event. He was heard as explaining that he believed Russia’s ban was “right” and would continue until the country began to act in a “civilized way”.

Encouraging complaint

Baeva said she knew of another case where a woman made a comment about the Russian army in a bar and police were later called. “It is possible that we are going back to a time when people were involved in this political persecution,” Baeva said, adding that she understands how many people are currently referring to comparisons with the repression of the Stalin era in modern Russia. During a March 17 speech, Putin signaled a shift to even greater repression when he referred to “national traitors” who made a living in the country but whose minds were aligned with Western thought. He spoke of the need for the Russians to differentiate “true patriots from scum” and how society could only be strengthened through self-purification. In the same week, an independent newspaper Novaya GazetaThe group, which has since suspended its operations following warnings from the Russian communications regulator, said Kaliningrad residents had received text messages urging them to send information about “provocateurs” in connection with the “special military operation”. in Ukraine.

High profile capture

While Russians face charges of even the mildest criticism, high-profile government opponents remain at great risk, including Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was arrested on April 11 after moving down to his apartment building in Moscow. Kara-Murza, a close ally of slain Russian opposition leader Boris Nemstov, who has been seriously ill twice after suffering suspected poisoning, is a vocal critic of the Kremlin and often speaks to the Western media. He also contributes to the Washington Post. Canadian Ministry of World Affairs uploaded to Twitter that his arrest was “deeply disturbing”.
Kara-Murza, who has visited Canada several times, spoke in the House of Commons about Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian tax adviser who died in prison after being jailed for exposing widespread corruption. Hours before his arrest last week, he interviewed CNN and described Russia as a “murderous regime.” In an interview with CBC, Evgenia Kara-Murza said she was concerned that her husband, Vladimir Kara-Murza, could be charged with additional offenses and held in custody much longer. (Submitted by Eugenia Kara-Mourza)
His wife, Evgenia Kara-Murza, who lives in the US, told CBC News he was sentenced to 15 days in prison for trying to evade police. “The accusation is wonderful in its absurdity,” he said. “You know when you have this special treatment from the Russian regime, you realize that your voice is really heard.” He said the official police report said he tried to change direction and speed up to escape from police, but said police arrived at his car after he parked and arrested him. Her fear is that the two weeks in jail could just be the beginning of a longer detention period, as authorities could impose additional charges to keep him in custody. Vladimir Kara-Murza is in court next to his lawyer, Vadim Prokorov, on Tuesday, after being sentenced to 15 days in detention. (Submitted by Vadim Prokhorov)
Kara-Murza, who spends part of his time abroad, was recently in London having dinner with Bill Browder, author and president of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign. “It is extremely worrying that he is in custody,” Browder told the CBC. “All we can do is pray for his safe release from this terrible situation.” Browder, who was once Russia’s largest foreign investor and has just written his second book detailing money laundering and assassinations in the country, said Putin had shifted his regime from authoritarian to totalitarian. “There is essentially martial law and full-scale war. No media, no information. Anyone who raises their voice in any small way is arrested.”

Business support

For Grachev, he and a lawyer plan to appeal the fine he received in order to reduce it, but he said that a fundraiser organized by a friend raised more than enough money to cover the sentence. The “no war” sign no longer exists in his computer repair shop, but instead, another screen reminds his customers of the company’s attitude. She reads that the company used to have a poster on it, but dropped it after it was fined. “A lot of customers are coming to us now … because of this situation. “This episode has only had a positive effect on our business.”

title: “New Laws Aim To Crush Even Mild Forms Of Protest In Russia " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-20” author: “Rick Andrada”

Grachev, 35, thought it was futile to take to the streets as protesters were dragged away by police for a few moments after waving signs. So they found a digital solution. On one of their computer screens, they put the words “No War” in Russian, hoping that the act would send a long-term message to those who frequented his business.

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Marat Grachev, 35, stands at his computer repair shop in Moscow, where he was forced to change a screen that read “No War” and fined 100,000 rubles (Dmitry Kozlov / CBC)
The sign lasted until March 31. “We are pleasantly surprised that we were able to work for a whole month and our customers did not hand us over,” Grachev told CBC in an interview at his Moscow store. But that changed when a passerby noticed the screen and told staff he would call the police if they did not lower it. When they did not, the police showed up on March 31. Grachev recorded the interaction as a police officer grabbed the remote control to close the screen and began questioning all his staff, demanding that they get off at the station. When Grachev asked if they could refuse, an officer told him that if they did, the police could take them by force. Grachev was eventually fined 100,000 rubles, equivalent to about $ 1,500 Cdn. Screenshot of a video recorded by Gradchev when police showed up at his computer repair shop in Moscow after a passer-by reported having a screen that read “No War” in Russian. (Submitted by Marat Grachev)

Hundreds of arrests

Grachev is one of at least 400 people fined or detained under new Russian laws targeting anyone deemed to defame the military or publish and distribute fake news, according to OVD-info, a Moscow-based human rights organization. which provides legal support in about a quarter of cases. Authorities opposed the protest with all available police forces, special services and the army, “said Roni Bar-On, a Member of the Knesset for Kadima. She was also a woman in the Crimea According to reports was held after someone thought that her blue and yellow manicure was too political – because her nails were in the colors of Ukraine. Absolutely crazy. St. Petersburg artist Alexandra Skochilenko is being held in custody pending criminal prosecution for spreading “false information” about the Russian military by exchanging war items on price tags at a local grocery store. A customer reported her to the police. pic.twitter.com/noDIeHIZOj – @ KevinRothrock
Legal observers say there has been a shift in rhetoric from government officials, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, encouraging citizens to uproot those who do not support what the country insists on calling a “special military operation” in Ukraine. Priests, teachers and activists have been detained and fined. Some face the prospect of years in prison. Grachev was detained at the police station for four hours and his phone was confiscated, but police said they initially warned he would be detained overnight and fined close to $ 5,000. He said the tone of the police officer he was dealing with changed dramatically when a “human rights defender” with OVD-Info appeared at the station. Alexandra Baeva, head of the legal department at OVD-info, says that in one case, police were called to a bar after a woman made a comment about the war in Ukraine. (Dmitry Kozlov / CBC)
The organization, which has been declared a foreign agent by the Russian government and one of its websites has been blocked, operates a hotline for people facing political persecution. Alexandra Baeva, who heads the legal department for OVD-info, said her team is aware of 15,000 arrests of anti-war protesters and more than 400 administrative cases related to the new laws since February 24. Online, this publishes A current list of cases includes a Crimean artisan accused of printing and distributing leaflets allegedly containing “false information” about the Russian army and a man from Moscow who was jailed for driving in the city with an anti-war flag in his car. . A criminal case has been opened against a teacher from Penza, a city 650 kilometers southeast of Moscow. In a recording shared on Russian social media, Irina Gen, 55, was recorded by someone in her class when one of the 8th graders asked why they could no longer participate in a European sporting event. He was heard as explaining that he believed Russia’s ban was “right” and would continue until the country began to act in a “civilized way”.

Encouraging complaint

Baeva said she knew of another case where a woman made a comment about the Russian army in a bar and police were later called. “It is possible that we are going back to a time when people were involved in this political persecution,” Baeva said, adding that she understood why so many now refer to comparisons with the repression of the Stalin era in modern Russia. During a March 17 speech, Putin signaled a shift to even greater repression when he referred to “national traitors” who made a living in the country but whose minds were aligned with Western thought. He spoke of the need for the Russians to differentiate “true patriots from scum” and how society could only be strengthened through self-purification. In the same week, an independent newspaper Novaya GazetaThe group, which has since suspended its operations following warnings from the Russian communications regulator, said Kaliningrad residents had received text messages urging them to send information about “provocateurs” in connection with the “special military operation”. in Ukraine.

High profile capture

While Russians face charges of even the mildest criticism, high-profile government opponents remain at great risk, including Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was arrested on April 11 after moving down to his apartment building in Moscow. Kara-Murza, a close ally of slain Russian opposition leader Boris Nemstov, who has been seriously ill twice after suffering suspected poisoning, is a vocal critic of the Kremlin and often speaks to the Western media. He also contributes to the Washington Post. Canadian Ministry of World Affairs uploaded to Twitter that his arrest was “deeply disturbing”. Kara-Murza, who has visited Canada several times, spoke in the House of Commons about Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian tax adviser who died in prison after being jailed for exposing widespread corruption. Hours before his arrest last week, he interviewed CNN and described Russia as a “murderous regime.” In an interview with CBC, Evgenia Kara-Murza said she was concerned that her husband, Vladimir Kara-Murza, could be charged with additional offenses and held in custody much longer. (Submitted by Eugenia Kara-Mourza)
His wife, Evgenia Kara-Murza, who lives in the US, told CBC News he was sentenced to 15 days in prison for trying to evade police. “The accusation is wonderful in its absurdity,” he said. “You know when you have this special treatment from the Russian regime, you realize that your voice is really heard.” He said the official police report said he tried to change direction and speed up to escape from police, but said police arrived at his car after he parked and arrested him. Her fear is that the two weeks in jail could just be the beginning of a longer detention period, as authorities could impose additional charges to keep him in custody. Vladimir Kara-Murza is in court next to his lawyer, Vadim Prokorov, on Tuesday, after being sentenced to 15 days in detention. (Submitted by Vadim Prokhorov)
Kara-Murza, who spends part of his time abroad, was recently in London having dinner with Bill Browder, author and president of the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign. “It is extremely worrying that he is in custody,” Browder told the CBC. “All we can do is pray for his safe release from this terrible situation.” Browder, who was once Russia’s largest foreign investor and has just written his second book detailing money laundering and assassinations in the country, said Putin had shifted his regime from authoritarian to totalitarian. “There is essentially martial law and full-scale war. No media, no information. Anyone who raises their voice in any small way is arrested.”

Business support

For Grachev, he and a lawyer plan to appeal the fine he received in order to reduce it, but he said that a fundraiser organized by a friend raised more than enough money to cover the sentence. The “no war” sign no longer exists in his computer repair shop, but instead, another screen reminds his customers of the company’s attitude. She reads that the company used to have a poster on it, but dropped it after it was fined. “A lot of customers are coming to us now … because of this situation. “This episode has only had a positive effect on our business.”