Human rights activists have launched a petition against "carousel arrests": this is the third time the Stoptime musicians have been subjected to them.
The OVD-Info project emphasizes that Russian security forces have been using this practice for several years: charging detainees with new administrative offenses and gaining the ability to extend their detention virtually indefinitely. This helps them falsify evidence to initiate criminal proceedings and keep their victims in fear.
“This is a pseudo-legal instrument that law enforcement officials use to place the victim of stalking in conditions of isolation and severe psychological pressure,” human rights activists are confident.
They view the "carousel arrests" as arbitrary and a violation of international law. Therefore, they are demanding that the Prosecutor General's Office and the Human Rights Commissioner conduct an investigation into the actions of security forces, who have already detained musicians from the street band "Stoptime" several times.
OVD-Info also asks State Duma deputies to amend the law that allows administrative arrests to be extended indefinitely.
Human rights activists report at least 58 cases where "carousel arrests" resulted in criminal charges. One such "carousel" ended tragically: while serving his third consecutive sentence in a special detention facility. perished Rostov activist and musician Anatoly Berezikov.
Musicians from the street group "Stoptime" are located In custody since mid-October: Z-activists were unhappy with the fact that they were performing songs by foreign agents on the streets PetersburgToday, the court extended the soloist's arrest for the third time. To Diana Loginova and the guitarist To Alexander Orlov — They were sentenced to 13 days in jail. Of the band members, only the drummer is still at large. Vladislav Leontiev — He was released from the special detention center on November 9, after two arrests of 13 days each.
A street singer from Perm Ekaterina Ostasheva, who spoke in support of Stoptime: at first she was sentenced to 7 days for allegedly failure undergo a medical examination, and then another 15 days for "disobedience police."
Despite the arrests, street musicians from Russian cities continue to perform in support of Stoptime: one of the recent performances Took place on the streets Cheboksarywhere the songs were performed Monetochka, Andrey Makarevich, Boris Grebenshchikov and other performers banned in Russia.
You can sign the petition against "carousel arrests" here.
