ECtHR recognizes violations of activists’ rights in Southern Russia

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) considered the claims filed by eight residents of Rostov-on-Don, Stavropol, Krasnodar, and Volgograd, who were detained at protest actions in 2017-2018, and obliged the authorities of Russia to pay the complainants the compensations for their illegal detention and lack of fair trials. The lawsuits had been filed before Russia withdrew from the Council of Europe (CE), the “Kavkaz.Realii”* reports.

Elena Butova and Mikhail Nesvat were detained at a protest action in Rostov-on-Don on August 10, 2019. The activists were fined. The ECtHR noted that they were illegally detained before any court’s decision.

According to a local office of Alexei Navalny**, on August 10, 2019, in Rostov-on-Don, thirteen people were detained at rallies in support of independent candidates to the Moscow City Duma. The court sentenced four protesters to fines and other two – to arrests.

Olga Yatskova was fined for participating in a protest action in Rostov-on-Don in support of Alexei Navalny** on October 7, 2017. Irina Samarina was also fined for participation in a similar protest action in Stavropol.

In Rostov-on-Don, a court arrested activist Anastasia Deineka for eight days and fined Anna Yeremeeva for participating in a protest action in support of Alexei Navalny** on December 24, 2017.

On September 9, 2018, in Volgograd, more than 300 people took part in an unsanctioned march held by Alexei Navalny’s** supporters against a pension reform. Anastasia Kadetova, acting coordinator of a local office of Alexei Navalny**, was arrested by court for 15 days.

The ECtHR recognized that the sentence in the form of administrative arrest, imposed by the first instance court, was executed immediately, without waiting for consideration of the appeal, and obliged the authorities of Russia to pay Anastasia Kadetova the compensation amounting to 5000 euros, follows from the decision in the case “Rechenko and others v. Russia”, published on the ECtHR’s official website.

Anastasia Kadetova called the ECtHR’s decision fair. “Of course, I don’t expect to receive that compensation. And if I got it, I would transfer it for the support of political prisoners,” the “Kavkaz.Realii”* quoted the activist as stating.

Besides, the compensation of 3500 euros was awarded to Sergey Osokin, a resident of Krasnodar, for the lack of a fair trial in his case. The man was fined for participating in a protest action against raising retirement age.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.

**Navalny’s offices are recognized as extremist organizations and banned in Russia. Alexei Navalny is a founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (known as FBK), an NCO that is included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in the register of NCOs performing functions of a foreign agent. The NCO is also recognized by a court as extremist and banned in the territory of Russia.