Press Release, 3.06.2020

In Kazan, police detained Chairman of the Yabloko branch in Tatarstan Ruslan Zinatullin. They want to bring him to administrative responsibility for a series of single pickets against mandatory army conscription, which he held by two regional military registration and enlistment offices on 15 May, the International Day of Conscientious Military Objectors.

Police officers detained Ruslan Zinatullin in the party’s office and are currently taking him to the police department. According to them, a protocol on an administrative offense will be drawn up in accordance with Part 2 of Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (“Organisation or holding a public event without giving notice in the prescribed manner”).

Ruslan Zinatullin picketed alone by two military registration and enlistment offices in Kazan, however, since there were two single pickets and there were different posters in each of them, the police regarded this as an administrative offense.

On the morning before the detention, Ruslan Zinatullin participated in a series of single pickets against Vladimir Putin’s amendments to the Constitution of Russia resetting the presidential term.

It should be noted that in February, Marina Shoetova, a supporter of the Tatarstan branch of Yabloko, was arrested for eight days for participation in a series of single pickets for the resignation of Artem Khokhori, head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Republic of Tatarstan. The police and the court found that Shoetova also violated part 2 of Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation – the organisation or holding of a public event without notice. On March 27, the Vakhitovsky District Court of Kazan imposed a fine of 150,000 roubles.

In January 2019, the Vakhitovsky District Court of Kazan sentenced participants of the movement against the construction of an incineration plant near Osinovo. One of its leaders, Yelena Izotova, Chair of the Yabloko’s branch of the Green Russia faction in Tatarstan, was arrested for five days for participation in a series of single pickets. During the action, she demanded resignation of Artyom Khokhorin, Minister of Internal Affairs of Tatarstan, for dispersing a tent camp of opponents of the construction of the incineration plant at the end of last year. Three more activists ended up in court after they came to the police department to support Yelena Izotova. One of them was arrested for ten days, the other two got a fine and compulsory works.

Earlier, riot police dispersed a tent camp of opponents of the construction of an incineration plant in Osinovo. Yabloko members were also in the camp protesting against the construction. Later, the Tatarstan police detained equipment for environmental expertise brought by opponents of the construction of the incineration plant near Kazan.