Over 1,400 people have been detained during the protests in Russia. The protests took place because of the bans of the opposition candidates in the September 2019 local elections. With these arrests, the authorities want to destroy the wave of the protests that has upset the Kremlin before the elections scheduled for 08.09.2019.
On Saturday, 27.07.2019, many Russians protested demanding fair elections. The exact number is not defined, but according to the photos and videos, it is a number that is not to be underestimated.
According to the police, about 3,500 people gathered at the protests, among which 700 journalists.
In the action in Moscow, the main editor of the leading independent television was also called on the hearing. The police has also raided this television, that was transmitting the protests live.
The startling wave of protests is the biggest one so far since 2012, when months of discontent culminated in a rally on the Moscow Square, where Putin was inaugurated as a new presidential candidate. After the rally, the police met the protesters, and many of them received heavy prison sentences.
The EU, through their spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic, criticized Russia for inappropriate use of force against the protesters, pointing out that the actions taken were against the fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly. Russia is expected to create conditions for a democratic process in the upcoming local elections in an inclusive political environment.
Alexei Navalny, known as Russia’s most prominent opposition leader, is in a Moscow prison hospital. He has been sentenced to 30 days prison for calling the protests, which took place on Saturday 27.07.2019. According to his spokeswoman, Navalny was received in the hospital with a swollen face and redness on his body, although he had never had allergic reactions before. One of his doctors said that his condition was a result of the harmful effects caused by undefined chemicals.
During the action against the protests, the police had a series of planned activities, including visits to the homes of several opposition figures for whom they had warrants for arrest.
According to the Amnesty International’s Russian director Natalia Zvagina, the Russian government has tried to stifle the protests by a series of measures. Accesses to Moscow were blocked, various threats were used. The police used batons during the violent attempts to stop the protesters.
The protest showed that Moscow is not ready to allow peaceful rallies. Again the same formula is used in the Kremlin: arbitrary arrests, violence and breaking of the crowd. Time will tell whether this startling attempt will succeed or grow into new expressions of discontent.
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