Astrakhan activists complain about pressure after mourning action

The participants of the action to commemorate victims of political repressions held on October 30 in Astrakhan are suspected of an unsanctioned event and were questioned by the police to this end.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 30, in Astrakhan, activists held a minute of silence to commemorate victims of political repressions and recollected the current political prisoners.

Report on the conflict of interests: on October 30, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was summoned, along with other participants of the action, to the police for explanations.

Today, a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) for the Astrakhan Region has met the participants of the October 30 action at the police and stated that their action revealed offence attributes under Part 2, Article 20.2 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offenses (organization or holding of a public event without filing a notification about it in accordance with the established order), the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Zarif Kurochkin, a participant of the action, has noted that activists "had spontaneously gathered for the event." "It turns out that if on May 9, my friends and I lay flowers to the monument to the fallen soldiers in the Great Patriotic War, this will also be an offense," he told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.