By David Sophrin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe
MOSCOW, Russia – Approximately 50 people were arrested Saturday at a protest in Moscow. The protest, which took place in Triumfalnaya Square in the center of the capital, focused on the efforts of the Kremlin since current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rose to power in 2000 to suppress independent media sources and nongovernmental human rights organizations. The protest was a part of Strategy 31, which has been a national effort to pressure the government to recognize and uphold the freedom of assembly rights guaranteed in paragraph 31 of the Russian Constitution.
Hundreds of city police and Interior Minister officers surrounded the approximately 100 protesters and 100 journalists who were in attendance. The leaders of the rally disputed those numbers, claiming that 70 people had been detained and more than 500 people had been in attendance. Among those in attendance was the United Civil Front and the National Bolshevik Party. The protest had not received the required authorization, the government citing a prior planned ‘military celebration’ in the same square.
Among the protesters was Lyudmila Alexeyeva, a well known human rights activists in Russia. Alexeyeva exclaimed that she had come “to defend the constitution.” She also stated that “the idea to organize the demonstrations on the 31st of the month here in the capital is to attempt to make a tradition of peaceful gatherings to allow citizens the chance to defend the Russian constitution.” Eduard Limonov, the National Bolshevik Party leader, was also present.
Another protester declared that he “[wanted] Russia to be free, not to rot in a policeman’s nightmare.”
A pro-Kremlin youth group, known as Rossiya Molodoya, were also at the rally. Leaflets and flares were used by this organization in an attempt to instigate the human rights protesters. Soon after their actions, the police who were already surrounded the human rights protesters in the square stepped in and arrested the activists. They were taken to nearby police stations.
For more information, please see:
HUFFINGTON POST – Human Rights Protesters Arrested in Moscow for Demanding Freedom of Assembly – 3 November 2009
ITAR-TASS – Unauthorized rally thwarted in Moscow, 50 people detained – 1 November 2009
PRESSTV – 50 human rights protesters arrested in Russia – 1 November 2009
THE OTHER RUSSIA – 70 Oppositionists Detained in Moscow Rally – 1 November 2009
REUTERS – Russian police detain 50 at human rights protest – 31 October 2009
RUSSIA TODAY – Opposition leaders detained in Moscow while trying to rally – 31 October 2009
