{"id":3346,"date":"2021-06-26T00:24:21","date_gmt":"2021-06-26T00:24:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mediateka.online\/learnrussian\/chasing-phantom-protests-meduza-looks-into-why-moscow-police-arrested-four-pussy-riot-activists-in-a-single-day.html"},"modified":"2021-06-26T00:24:21","modified_gmt":"2021-06-26T00:24:27","slug":"chasing-phantom-protests-meduza-looks-into-why-moscow-police-arrested-four-pussy-riot-activists-in-a-single-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediateka.online\/learnrussian\/chasing-phantom-protests-meduza-looks-into-why-moscow-police-arrested-four-pussy-riot-activists-in-a-single-day.html","title":{"rendered":"Chasing phantom protests Meduza looks into why Moscow police arrested four Pussy Riot activists in a single day"},"content":{"rendered":"
Pussy Riot activist Maria AlyokhinaMaria Alyokhina\u2019s personal archive<\/figure>\n

Four Pussy Riot activists were handed 15-day jail sentences in Moscow on June 23, along with four of their friends. Meanwhile, another Pussy Riot member, Veronika Nikulshina, was already serving time on similar misdemeanor charges. All of the detainees were jailed for allegedly disobeying police officers or for minor hooliganism. According to police reports, and some of the activists themselves, they were arrested on suspicion of planning to carry out a protest action on June 22 \u2014 Russia\u2019s Day of Remembrance and Sorrow marking the anniversary of the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II. Meduza special correspondent Kristina Safonova <\/strong>looks into the sudden wave arrests targeting Pussy Riot activists and their friends, and finds holes in the official version of the story.<\/p>\n

The arrests<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Veronika Nikulshina<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Standing outside of the FSB headquarters on Moscow\u2019s Lubyanka Square on June 12, artist and Pussy Riot activist Veronika Nikhulshina takes an unlit cigarette out of her mouth and types something into her phone. There are two police officers standing behind her, wearing uniform caps and medical masks. One of the officers is talking on the phone, looking worried. Without looking back at the policemen, Nikulshina helps a journalist from the YouTube channel Redaktsiya remove her microphone \u2014 the activist was giving an interview before the police officers showed up. Nikulshina gathers her things and flashes the camera a peace sign as she walks away, accompanied by three police officers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe formal reason for the arrest is smoking in a public place,\u201d Redaktsiya correspondent Alexey Pivovarov reported at the time. Later that night, Nikulshina was released from the police station after being charged with minor hooliganism. But on June 16, the activist was detained once again. The next day, Moscow\u2019s Dorogomilovsky District Court found her guilty of another misdemeanor, disobeying police officers, and sentenced her to 15 days in jail.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to the police report, law enforcement were informed that the activist had \u201cintentions to commit illegal actions related to violations of public order and public safety,\u201d allegedly aimed at disrupting Euro 2020 soccer matches in St. Petersburg. Police sergeant A. G. Zatonsky wrote that he asked Nikulshina to come down to the station and give an explanation, to which she allegedly \u201creacted aggressively, started recording what was happening on a mobile phone, and refused to proceed to the police vehicle.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Zatonsky didn\u2019t name the source that supposedly warned the police about Nikulshina\u2019s alleged plans. The activist\u2019s lawyer, Sergey Telnov from OVD-Info, said that the defense plans to challenge the ruling. \u201cDuring the consideration of the protocol the police tried to prove Nikulshina\u2019s intentions to disrupt the championship with the tickets she bought to St. Petersburg and back to Moscow for June 17. However, there aren\u2019t any matches scheduled in St. Petersburg on that day. Based on the tickets, it\u2019s clear that Veronika was going to return to Moscow that same day,\u201d Telnov added.<\/p>\n

Alexander Sofeev and Dmitry Vorontsov<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Late in the evening on June 21, Pussy Riot member Alexander Sofeev and his friend, photographer Dmitry Vorontsov, were returning home. According to Sofeev\u2019s lawyer, Mansur Gilmanov from Apologia Protesta, his client had drunk a little wine beforehand. Vorontsov was sober. Sofeev had the bottle of wine in his backpack.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the two friends were approaching Sofeev\u2019s home and getting ready to part ways, a police van pulled up next to them, Gilmanov told Meduza. \u201cOfficers in bullet-proof vests got out […] And officers in plainclothes \u2014 of course we didn\u2019t see their IDs, but Sofeev assumes they were from the Anti-Extremism Center.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sofeev and Vorontsov were arrested and taken to a police station. Lawyer Mansur Gilmanov wasn\u2019t allowed in to see them there, but was shown the arrest report and other police reports. \u201cIt said that they [Sofeev and Vorontsov] were allegedly inebriated in a public place, which is an offense to human dignity,\u201d Gilmanov recalled. The police didn\u2019t let him photograph the documents.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the arrest, we managed to get in touch with Sofeev. He confirmed that they were in a completely appropriate state, they weren\u2019t drunk,\u201d the lawyer continued. \u201cAnd I asked for them to undergo a medical examination.\u201d According to Gilmanov, the police agreed \u2014 and the doctor, a narcologist (addictions specialist), concluded that the detainees \u201cweren\u2019t in a state of intoxication.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lawyer wasn\u2019t allowed into the police station the next day either. On June 23, Moscow\u2019s Basmanny District Court jailed Sofeev and Vorontsov for 15 days on misdemeanor charges of minor hooliganism. According to Gilmanov, the police records alleging that his clients were drunk weren\u2019t presented in court. \u201c[The documents said] that they allegedly used obscene language,\u201d the lawyer told Meduza. \u201cThis is an obvious falsification. They changed the reports: they removed the ones where it said that someone was intoxicated. And the obscene language appeared.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gilmanov added that the prosecution didn\u2019t present any other evidence. The defense lawyer wasn\u2019t allowed to question the police officers who made the arrests.<\/p>\n

Lyusya Shtein<\/strong><\/h4>\n

On the morning of June 22, municipal deputy and Pussy Riot activist Lyusya Shtein walked out of her building and noticed a police van was parked in the alleyway. \u201cThree officers ran up from behind and said \u2018Stop.\u2019 I stopped. They said, \u2018Come with us.\u2019 I said: \u2018What\u2019s the reason for the arrest?\u2019 They said: \u2018We\u2019ll tell you at the station.\u2019 They [asked] if I refused to go. I said no, I\u2019m not refusing. And I went [with them] calmly,\u201d Shtein told Meduza.<\/p>\n

\"Municipal