Police report investigation into actions of Volgograd propagandists

The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) is investigating a complaint lodged by lawyer Roman Melnichenko about incitement of hatred and disclosure of personal data of Alexei Navalny’s supporters in Volgograd by employees of a TV Company. Lawyer Ruslan Nurushev filed an appeal against the police’s refusal of his complaint to conduct an investigation into the legality of the propagandists’ actions.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on March 20, a Volgograd TV Channel made public the names of people who brought flowers to the monument to victims of political repression in memory of Alexey Navalny, calling them potential “saboteurs.” A number of activists shown in the TV report, including Roman Melnichenko, Ruslan Nurushev, Vladimir Telpuk, requested the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF) to institute a criminal case on the above fact, but so far their demands have not been satisfied.

Roman Melnichenko reported that in June, he sent a complaint to the prosecutor’s office about a criminal offense committed by journalists from the “Volgograd-1” TV Channel under the article on actions aimed at inciting hatred or enmity, and humiliation of the dignity of a person or group of persons. The maximum punishment under the above-mentioned article can be imprisonment for up to six years.

On June 28, the deputy prosecutor reported that “there were no grounds for prosecutorial intervention” and the complaint was forwarded to the ICRF. The appeal was finally registered by the police.

Roman Melnichenko believes that the police will conduct a pre-investigation check under his complaint.

Lawyer Ruslan Nurushev has a different opinion concerning the consideration of the complaints in the “flower-laying” case. The regional court refused to institute a criminal case under his complaint. Ruslan Nurushev also filed a complaint to the court about the police’s refusal to consider the offense of disclosing personal data.