Sergey Mitrokhin detained while trying to hold rally demanding Ramzan Kadyrov's resignation

In front of the building of the Russian Presidential Administration, Sergey Mitrokhin, a member of the Federal Political Committee of the "Yabloko" Party, and Anton Antonov-Ovseenko, the head of the Party's Moscow public reception, have tried to hold a picket with the demand of the resignation of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Together with activist Stanislav Belyansky, they were brought to the OVD (Interior Division) of the Kitay-gorod District of Moscow.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 12, Ramzan Kadyrov claimed that the non-systemic opposition should be treated "as enemies of the people", trying to undermine the situation in the Russian Federation. Human rights defenders have called the statements made by Ramzan Kadyrov as reckless and dangerous.

According to the statement made by the "Yabloko" Party, Sergey Mitrokhin was planning to hold a solo picket for the resignation of Ramzan Kadyrov. He tried to enter the territory of the Russian Presidential Administration with a folded poster, but policemen asked him to show his passport.

"Mitrokhin did not take his passport. Meanwhile, Antonov-Ovseenko had a passport in his pocket, and thus Mitrokhin suggested that the picket might be held by his party colleague. According to the press service of the 'Yabloko' Party, the police asked Mitrokhin to open his poster, and then both activists were immediately detained," the website of the "Yabloko" Party.

On January 22, Grozny held a rally "Our Strength is in Unity" to support Ramzan Kadyrov. The Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reported that the rally was attended by no less than 800,000 people. According to the people who attended the rally, the official number of the rally participants was overstated.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.