MENU
Documenting
war crimes in Ukraine
The Tribunal for Putin (T4P) global initiative was set up in response to the all-out war launched by Russia against Ukraine in February 2022.

Similar articles

Russia sentences Crimean Tatar journalist and human rights activists to 19 years for exposing its repression in occupied Crimea Ukrainian officials prevent former political prisoner held in Russia from returning to UkraineRussia stages mass raids on Nobel Peace Prize laureate, brings criminal charges against Memorial Head for condemning its war against UkraineRussian court jails soldier for admitting to proven war crimes in Ukraine New brutal sentence in Russia’s 'liquidation of dissenters' in occupied Crimea Russia 'sentences' POW and prominent human rights defender Maksym Butkevych to 13 years on fictitious charges Russia demands 18-year sentence for Crimean Solidarity human rights activism in occupied Crimea 'Court' in Russian-occupied Crimea passes long sentences against three Ukrainian Jehovah’s Witnesses Russia seeks 12-year sentence against Crimean Tatar claiming 'terrorism' in a religious discussion 7 years ago Belarusian partisans destroy Russian war plane and other courageous acts obstructing Russia’s war against Ukraine ‘When there’s nothing left, it’s scary’ (Moshchun resident Antonina Soloviova)Russian invaders abduct and torture Kung-Fu master and four other Ukrainians for fantasy ‘international terrorism trial'Invaders seize and imprison former Ukrainian soldier, then kidnap his three children to Russia ‘for adoption’Illegal Flowers, Solitary Protestors, Molotov Cocktails: a Digest of Russian ProtestsRelentless torment of Ukrainian serving 11-year sentence for opposing Russia’s occupation of Crimea Freed POW confirms likely huge number of Ukrainian civilians held hostage in Russia Russia blocks Google and intensifies terror and censorship in occupied parts of UkrainePrayers for Peace are Forbidden: a Digest of Russian Protests‘The windows were blown out, frames and all’ (Vasyl Markhonos, Borodianka)Death sentence for reporting on Russian repression in occupied Crimea and chilling repeat of Stalin-era persecution
• Topics / News from the CIS countries

Moscow police detain Ludmila Alexeyeva and many others

31.12.2009    source: www.cnn.com

Moscow, Russia (CNN) -- Moscow police have detained a number of anti-government opposition demonstrators following an unsanctioned protest in a downtown square just hours before the New Year.

"About 40 people were detained out of more than 200 who arrived there," said Alexander Averin, activist with The Other Russia opposition group. Averin was among the protesters but left the scene soon before the police took control of it.

Among the detained were author-turned-opposition figure Eduard Limonov and 82-year-old Lyudmila Alexeyeva, a veteran human rights activist and head of the Moscow Helsinki group.

"The police didn’t beat anybody with truncheons, but they handled the protesters quite roughly," he said.

The activists announced plans to hold an opposition demonstration well in advance, but the Moscow mayor’s office refused to authorize it. The activists went ahead with it anyway, calling it "a public New Year celebration."

Alexeyeva spoke to CNN briefly on the mobile phone as a police bus was carrying her and other detained protesters to a local police precinct.

"I was dressed as a snow maiden," she said. "We all assembled around a New Year fir tree that we put there. This wasn’t a political protest and we didn’t violate public order."

In the past few days, the Moscow police on several occasions has stated it would not allow an unsanctioned demonstration to take place and would do everything under the law to stop it.

"A number of public gatherings were authorized to take place in various parts of downtown Moscow, including the Triumfalnaya Square, where they [the protesters] came to," a duty officer at the Moscow police told CNN. "A different event was planned there, and the police told the Moscow Helsinki Group that this venue is already taken. We offered them a different place to gather days ago, but they rejected it and still came to the Triumfalnaya Square."

More than 50 activists were detained, the duty officer said. "They were delivered to nearby local police precincts for administrative offenses."

The Other Russia, a radical opposition and human rights activism group, has been attempting to stage their protests on the 31st day of each month that has 31 days -- in a symbolic support of Article 31 of the Russian Constitution which guarantees the freedom of assembly, Averin said. But so far, the Moscow mayor’s office has always denied the group a permission to gather.

Limonov, who has participated in every such attempt, was detained for 10 days on October 31. But normally protesters are freed shortly after their detention.

Ella Pamfilova, the head of the Kremlin council for human rights and the promotion of civil society, told the Russian news agency Interfax she was seeking the release of the activists.

 Share this