Press Release, 10.11.2026

Photo: Nikolai Rybakov / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Yabloko Chairman Nikolai Rybakov has appealed to Minister of Internal Affairs Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin, Mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobyanin, and the federal and Moscow Human Rights Commissioners, Yana Lantratova and Andrei Metsler, over the heavy-handed mass detentions of young people in the Kitay-Gorod area in Moscow.

In his appeal, the Yabloko party leader asked them:

• to carry out an inquiry into the circumstances of the mass detentions in the Kitay-Gorod area on 7 November 2026, examining the case of every detainee to establish whether their rights had been violated and whether physical force had been used;
• to take measures to prevent unjustified mass detentions and disproportionate pressure on people during crime prevention operations;
• to consider organising joint work by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Moscow Government, and the federal and Moscow Human Rights Commissioners, and to develop alternative approaches to preventing offences among the young people who gather in the Kitay-Gorod area.

“Crime prevention” as it was conducted on 7 November is perceived by young people as an act of intimidation and will only lead to growing public distrust of law enforcement agencies, increasing alienation among young people, intolerance in society and conflicts between different groups of citizens.

Nikolai Rybakov proposed a comprehensive approach to solving the problem: cooperation between government agencies; dialogue with society, involving both the young people and the local residents unhappy with their behaviour; and the creation of conditions in which young people could spend time safely in public spaces.

It should be noted that on 7 November, as part of crime prevention operations near Kitay-Gorod metro station, the security forces detained between 150 and 300 people, according to various estimates, including many minors. According to media reports and the detainees themselves, the security forces used excessive physical force and pressure, including refusing to let detainees use the toilet and denying them access to water. Parents were not allowed to see their detained children.