In Volgograd, at opposition rally, pensioner detained for unsanctioned posters

In Volgograd, during the opposition rally, held on June 12 by the Regional Branch of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation (the CPRF), pensioner Galina Tikhenko was detained. According to law enforcement officers, the woman, who came with posters reading: "For Honest Government", "No Police State", etc., had to coordinate them with the organizers of the event.

Today, at 11:00 a.m., in Volgograd, near the "Mamaev Hill" bus stop, the rally of the opposition movements started. The protest action was organized by the Regional Branch of the CPRF. Activists of the Regional Branches of the "Yabloko" Party and the movements "For Fair Elections" and "White Ribbon" were also invited.

Ten minutes prior the start of the protest action, the police talked to the civil activist Galina Tikhenko, who was going to unfold the posters reading: "For Honest Government", "Russia without Putin", and "No Police State." A police officer tried to explain the pensioner that she had no right to be there, since her posters were not coordinated with the organizers of the rally.

The policemen made the same reproofs to Nadezhda Pedina, a member of the "Yabloko" Party.

The law enforcement agents demanded that the activists should coordinate the slogans on their posters with the organizers of the rally. Soon, Galina Tikhenko was forwarded by the policemen to a police car for completion of a protocol.

Galina Tikhenko herself signed only one of the protocols completed by the police officers.

"I signed the first protocol, completed by the policeman. He asked me about my slogans. I answered him," said Galina Fedorovna. She continued: "Then, I felt bad, my blood pressure rose, and I was examined by doctors, who were on duty there at the place of the rally. After that, the police drove me to another place, and there they completed the second protocol. I did not sign it, since they said that I showed those posters during the rally, and I did not do that."

The woman waits for a summon to the magistrate court. Till present, the date of the first court session is still unknown. Galina Tikhenko fears that the court will oblige her to pay a very large fine, which she will not be able to pay.

According to lawyer Evgeny Zhidov, the civil activist, the delayed woman is the first opposition activist in the Volgograd Region, who was affected by the Federal Law "On Amendments to the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation" and the Law "On Assemblies, Rallies, Demonstrations, Processions, and Picketing".

"We will try to help her at trial," the lawyer said.

The rally ended at noon, and no provocations have been noted. Basically, the oppositionists spoke against the new Law on rallies, which, according to the speakers, contradicts the Constitution and leads to the radicalization of the protest movement.