Alexander Shishlov: I am urging police officers to serve only the law and the people – as the law requires
Press Release, 13.04.2022
Photo: Alexander Shishlov / Photo by the Press Service of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg
Alexander Shishlov, head of the Yabloko faction in the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, spoke at the Legislative Assembly about functioning of the law enforcement. He emphasized the importance of their strict observance of the rights of citizens and criticised absurd detentions for posters “No to War” or “Peace for the World”.
“The police should be a law enforcement agency, and not turn into a punitive body solving political problems – the intimidation and persecution of the dissenting. There should be not protocols of administrative detentions in our city, when citizens are accused of holding posters “No to War” or “Peace for the World,” he stressed.
Shishlov gave an example of the case of Artur Dmitriyev, who wrote a quote President Putin’s speech dedicated to the anniversary of the Victory in the Second World War in his poster: “The war brought so much grief that it is impossible to forget. There can be no forgiveness for those who are again making aggressive plans.”
The police detained him and drew up a protocol, where they wrote that the poster “symbolised protest against the war and fight against it,” and its author “expressed his opinion about the participation of Russian troops in the war, and not in a special military operation”. According to the police, by quoting the President, Artur Dmitriyev “distorted and discredited the use of the Russian armed forces outside the Russian Federation”. However, such a conclusion, in principle, cannot be made by a police officer without any examination confirming this.
“Such actions, which cannot be called legal, discredit police officers, and not only those who draw up such protocols. They destroy respect for the law. Therefore, I am urging police officers to serve only the law and the people – as required by the law “On Police”, and strictly observe the rights of citizens,” Shishlov said.
ALEXANDER SHISHLOV
is head of the Yabloko faction in the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg
Posted: April 13th, 2022 under Foreign policy, Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, Russia-Ukraine relations, YABLOKO's faction in St.Petersburg Legislative Assembly, Yabloko's Regional Branches.