06 March 2024, 16:50
Residents of Southern Russia report pressure during detentions on the day of Navalny's funeral
Activists from the cities of Sochi, Astrakhan and Vladikavkaz have informed that after they were detained while trying to lay flowers in memory of Navalny, they received warnings. According to Mikhail Bormotov, a Sochi resident, policemen grasped his flowers away and forced him to provide access to his phone, threatening him with freedom deprivation.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 1, 2024, a farewell to Alexei Navalny in Moscow, and then his funeral were held. Human rights defenders reported detentions of Navalny's supporters in various Russian regions.
Mikhail Bormotov said that his detention was not without threats and pressure. "I was coming with flowers; they began intimidating me promising "to teach me to love our homeland" ... Then, threats followed and an order to unblock my phone. It was taken away ... Having found nothing in it; they issued a warning, asked about my relatives, residence, and military service. Throughout the entire detention, there was constant obscene language from law enforcers," he has stated, adding that "while I was writing an explanation, they brought in two more young women and one guy. They were all under psychological pressure."
On March 2, after Navalny's funeral, policemen did not allow a Sochi woman to lay flowers at the monument to victims of political repressions, saying that this was only permissible on the Remembrance Day of Victims of Political Repressions. The ban on holding such commemorative events violates the law, lawyers have stated.
A similar warning was issued in Vladikavkaz to Anna Kolesnikova, a resident of Saint Petersburg.
Artyom Kaliev, a resident of Astrakhan, was first told that he would be arrested by court ruling, but then released, advising him not to take part in any protests again.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 5, 2024 at 02:50 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Roman Kuzhev Source: СK correspondent
