I read on Telegram that a group of protesters is standing near the journalism faculty building of Moscow State University – it is across the street from the blocked-off Manezhnaya Square. On my way there I find myself near the Marx statue. There are no more protesters left. Two policemen come up to me, ask to see my documents and demand that I proceed to a van “for delivery to the police department and a database check”.
It is useless to argue in this situation. I go with the officers to their minibus.
I was detained very quickly, without the use of force. But, according to police detention monitoring service OVD-Info, at least 34 protesters in different cities were severely beaten by Russian police on 6 March. The demonstrators were punched, kicked, beaten with truncheons and tasered. The police department in Brateevo, on the outskirts of Moscow, was especially distinguished in this regard. There, police officers threw water on feminist activists, hitting and insulting them. Protest participant Alexandra Kaluzhskikh managed to discreetly record her interrogation and torture by police officers.
“Putin is on our side. You are the enemies of Russia. You are the enemy of the people. Now we’ll fuck you up here and that’s it. It’s a done deal. We will also get a bonus for this,” a policeman shouted at her.
In these conditions, few people decide to join a protest again.
The first time you are detained at a rally, you can face a fine of up to 15,000 roubles. If you get detained again within a year, you can face up to 30 days of administrative arrest or a fine of up to 300,000 roubles. If you receive more than two administrative detentions in six months, you can face a criminal case with a real prospect of landing behind bars.
Source: I was arrested at an anti-war protest in Moscow. Here’s what happened next | openDemocracy
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