Sergei Mitrokhin’s blog, 04.02.2015

Picketing for freedom of Svetlana Davydova began at 14.00 outside the main office of the Federal Security Service at Lubyanka Square.

It started a little nervously. A capacious police van, PAZ brand, was parked next to the office.

Just as the participants of the action came out of the underground passage, several police officers immediately approached them and demanded a kind of “permission to film” when they saw a camera in the hands of our press service employee.

The policeman who required the “permission”refused to introduce himself or show his badge. He ran away from the camera lens. Others began to check the passports of the picketers taking pictures of the documents via mobile phones.

However, they didn’t check mine. I know that I appear on the electronic databases of all the law enforcement agencies.

I came to Lubyanka not only to protect Svetlana, but, sorry for the confession, myself. If there will be a precedent for planting a new version of Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code on treason against the state every second post of this blog may become the reason for persecution. After all, who knows what may be declare a state secret at some moment? I’ve written about sending Russia’s troops to Eastern Ukraine more than once as well. So, I have not only public interest, but self-interest too.

Lots of journalists gathered by the main entrance. They had one question: “Why did you come here?” It is strange because the answer to the question was written on the poster: “Free Svetlana Davydova”.

When the journalists began taking comments of the activists a snow removing tractor appeared suddenly, it began to honk and drive the journalists from side to side. The tractor passed the picketing place several times. The police demanded: “Do not interfere with the work of the snowplow”.

YABLOKO Chair advisor Sofya Rusova initiated the picket

The party activist Anton Antonov-Ovseyenko with the placard moved away from the entrance of the FSB office to the roadway. The police rushed to him immediately and said that “for your own safety you should go away from here.” It sounded ridiculous considering that about a dozen police officers stood on the roadway, and cars, except for very tinted FSB Mercedes, didn’t drive up in that place.

The action did not last long. Police stood by reporting the information about what was happening via walkie-talkie phones and and was waiting for a command.

The command apparently was “do not detain them”. Perhaps they were ashamed of a large number of journalists as it seemed awkward to break the law in their sight.

Anton Antonov-Ovseyenko, a grandson of a famous revolutionary, now a civil rights activist

Two hours after the news agencies spread the information about our action at Lubyanka Square, the information appeared that Svetlana Davydova was allowed to go home with a written cognizance not to leave [the Smolensk region, where her hometown – the Vyazma city – is situated. Davydova was detained at her flat and taken to Moscow’s Lefortovo pre-trail detention centre].

Of course, I do not think that it was our picket that became the main reason for her release.

The collection of signatures was organised, many respected people made statements [in support of Svetlana Davydova]. It happened so that our picket became the final chord. But who knows what could have happened if at least one of the elements was missing in this campaign?

It’s too early to celebrate the victory. Svetlana is still facing many torments during interrogations and in court. A severe sentence on the absurd charges against her can not be excluded yet.

Grigory Yavlinsky’s Press Secretary Igor Yakovlev

Therefore we are going to stand for her until all the charges against her will be dropped. It’s important not only for Svetlana and her family but for all active citizens in Russia. Anyone of them can become next.