CPRF picketers detained in Krasnodar

Participants of the picket held in front of the GUVD (Chief Interior Department) building for the Krasnodar Territory have been detained. The claimed aim of the action, which was organized by local activists of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (CPRF), was in the demand that the police should respect human rights.

About the midday, three young men and Irina Kolesnikova, an activist of the public movement "All are equal before the law and court", who are not organizers of the action, were detained; however, none of the organizers of the action who were in the venue was detained.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed by Alexei Todorenko, one of the organizers of the picket, that the notification about the picket was filed in accordance with the legislation; the city administration mended no obstacles; the picketers admitted no violations of the public order; and the policemen present at the venue moved no claims against the organizers.

Ms Kolesnikova said by the phone that despite their request the policemen who detained them failed to introduce themselves. In the course of detention they were not explained the reason for detention, but they were asked to write explanations. The detainees appealed by telephone to the on duty city prosecutor, saying that they were "kept hostages" of the GUVD employees.

At the moment, the detainees were taken to the magistrate court of Krasnodar (judicial precinct No. 3, Magistrate Judge Elena Soloviova). The three young men (Pavel Smirnov, the other's surname is Alexandrov, and all what is known about the third one is that he is a citizen of Armenia) are accused, according to the protocol on administrative offence, of disobeying the lawful order of a policeman (Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences (CAO)) and violating the established procedure for holding pickets (Article 20.2 of the CAO). Irina Kolesnikova has not been charged yet.

In total, the picket was a little more than 10 persons strong. The people who gathered near the GUVD are not let in; the on duty officer promised that the department head would come out to them, but in an hour and a half hours nobody ever appeared.