Press Release, 16.03.2022

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, asked Tatyana Moskalkova, Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia, basing on Article 21 of the Federal Law on the Human Rights Commissioner in the Russian Federation, to take measures of state protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens in view of information about mass-scale violations of the rights of citizens in St. Petersburg.

Shishlov pointed out that journalists and human rights activists record numerous and systematic violations of the legal rights of citizens at peaceful protests in St. Petersburg against the “special military operation” in Ukraine.

In particular, Shishlov noted the facts of detention of bystanders, unreasonable violence, obstruction of the legal professional activities of journalists, non-admission of lawyers and defenders to the detainees. The courts impose fines and arrests on the basis of police protocols, which literally run as follows: “He held the “No to War” placard, thereby expressing his opinion and shaping the opinion of others about the participation of the Russian Armed Forces in the war, and not in a special operation”.

Alexander Shishlov stressed that “double standards” in relation to the participants in various actions are obvious. For example, an unpermitted public event in support of the decision to recognise the Donetsk and the Luhansk “republics”, which took place on 23 February on Palace Square in St.Petersburg, in which more than a thousand people participated, as well as other public actions in support of the “special operation” in Ukraine, have been taking place without detentions or obstacles from law enforcement agencies, but peaceful anti-war actions are severely suppressed by the police.

In accordance with Article 21 of the Federal Law on the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation: “If there is information about massive or gross violations of the rights and freedoms of citizens, or in cases of special public importance or related to the need to protect the interests of persons who are unable to independently use legal remedies, the authorised person has the right to take on his own initiative appropriate measures within his competence”.

It should be noted that the Yabloko faction spoke out in defence of St Petersburg University students who were threatened with expulsion due to participation in peaceful protests, and called on the State Duma to repeal laws imposing penalties for anti-war protests.