Jahr 2015: Versammlungsfreiheit und Vereinigungsfreiheit in Zahlen

Freedom of assembly

The right to hold peaceful demonstrations will continue to be violated in 2015.  

The number of days of administrative detention for carrying out the actions (including actions agreed with the authorities, vigils and performances) was at least 474 days.

In addition, the following persons were sentenced to a total of 7.5 years imprisonment and 3.5 years probation: Ivan Nepomnjashchikh (one of the defendants in the „Bolotnaya case“) – to 2.5 years penal colony, Daria Polyudovaya – to 2 years in prison, Ildar Dadin to 3 years in penal colony.

The number of detainees (including pickets, street performers, musicians and participants in government-approved actions) was at least 971 people.

The amount of the fine for violation of the Law on Meetings (including street musicians, organizers of public hearings, etc.) is at least 1095,000 rubles.

In 2015, at least 23 attacks on activists and human rights activists took place for various reasons.

In 2015, fire safety experts concluded that in December 2014, the Grosny office of the Joint Mobile Group (SMG) of human rights defenders in Chechnya was set on fire in three places.

The police service investigation found no violation in the actions of the Chechen police during a police emergency call by human rights defenders of the Committee Against Torture. According to human rights activists, they spent two hours waiting for the police. The police arrived on the spot only after the pogrom was over.

Freedom of assembly in the Crimea

Crimea continues to violate the right to freedom of assembly. In 2015, at least 78 people were therefore (including pickets, street performers, musicians and participants of delivered voted by authorities actions) for the violation of legislation on freedom of assembly held .

The sum of fines for violations of the Law on Meetings (including street musicians, organizers of public hearings, etc.) is at least 30,000 rubles.

Five arrests in the case „May 3“ , one of the detainees was sentenced to 4.4 years probation.

„The court of the city Armyansk was Musa Abkerimov for an offense under part 2 EL. 318 of the Criminal Code (The use of force against a government official) found guilty. The court sentenced him to a fine and 4.4 years probation. Musa Abkerimov was arrested on 16 October 2014. In case „3. May „has been fined more than 100 people for participating in a peaceful gathering.“

Six arrests in the case „26. February“

„According to investigators, a demonstration of representatives of the Majlis took place near the building of the Verkhovna Rada of the Crimea on February 26, 2008. During the demonstration,“ the unknowns „started the participants to“ disobey the state power „and“ According to the Russian investigators, two people were killed as a result of the resulting mass riots.

The night after the arrest, Chiygoz was held for two months. Investigators blame him for the riots. Chiygoz faces arrest of 8 to 15 years in prison.

Three days before the arrest of Chiygoz, Russian investigators searched the offices of the Crimean Tatars TV channel ATR in Simferopol on the grounds that the withdrawal of all rally videos was necessary.

The verdict: 4 years and 2 months for the action of the movement „Euromaidan“

The pro-Ukrainian activist Alexander Kostenko was sentenced in Crimea to 4 years and 2 months in the penal colony, on charges of damage to the health of the militants of the special department „Berkut“ during the mass protests in Kiev in February 2014.

The verdict handed down the Kiev district court in Simferopol. The prosecutor of Russia of annexed Crimea Natalia Vladimirovna Poklonskaya has appeared as the chief prosecutor. After the session, she called the ruling a „Restoration of Justice“ and has promised new resonant procedures against activists of the „Euromaidan“.

According to the indictment, Kostenko threw a stone at a member of Crimean militia unit „Berkut“ Vitaly Polienko in Kiev at Mariinsky park near the Ukrainian Parliament building on February 18, 2014. According to investigators, among other things he illegally had a weapon at home in Simferopol.

The verdict for film director Oleg Sentsov – 20 years penal colony

The military court in the North Caucasus district condemned the Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov.

He was found guilty of planning the terrorist attacks in the Crimea and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Alexander Kolchenko was sentenced to 10 years. Two other defendants in the case – Gennady Afanasiev and Alexey Cirno – were each sentenced to seven years.

Freedom of association

In 2015, the effect of the so-called „agent law“ continued in Russia. According to the law, all Russian NGOs that receive the money and assets of foreign states whose authorities, international and foreign organizations or foreign citizens are involved in political activities (inter alia in the interests of foreign sources) are foreign agents.

In total, the register of such organizations includes 111 organizations.

In 2015, 81 organizations were registered.

Officially, at least nine organizations announced their self-dissolution .

In total, NGOs were fined by the court for a fine of at least 4,253,000 rubles.

The number of foreign and international non-governmental organizations recognized as „undesirable“ in the Russian Federation – 4.

• The National Endowment for Democracy
• OSI Assistance Foundation
• Open Society Foundation
• US RUSSIA FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT AND THE RULE OF LAW