Weekly Update No. 42
Rights in Russia
Week-ending Friday 13 November 2015
Zarina Yunusova Death in custody
On 12/11 St. Petersburg City Court ruled that Zarina Yunusova, the mother of a 5-month-old Tajik boy old Umarali Nazarov who died while in police custody, should be deported to Tajikistan for violating Russia's laws of migration. (RFE/RL, 13/11)
Magomed Activists Mutsolgov On 6/11 the home and office of Ingush human rights activist Magomed Mutsolgov were searched by law enforcement agents. Mutsolgov was told he faces charges of “anti-Russian and subversive activities" based on a ruling of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Ingushetia of 20/10. (HRO.org, 7/11)
Petr Pavlensky On 11/11 a Moscow district court ordered performance artist Petr Pavlensky to be jailed until 8/12 pending trial on vandalism charges after he set the doors of the Federal Security Service (FSB) headquarters on fire on 9/11 in a political protest. (RFE/RL, 11/11)
Memorial Human Right of association Rights Centre On 9/11 the Memorial human rights organization received a letter from the Justice Ministry accusing it of seeking to overthrow the Russian government. The letter accused Memorial of “undermining the constitutional order of the Russian Federation, calling for the overthrow of the current government and changing the country's political regime." (The Moscow Times, 10/11)
Suayaryi Zavarkin Freedom of expression On 6/11 a court in Petrozavodsk banned a video recording of a statement by Suayarvi Zavarkin, a city councilman in Suojarvi, where he spoke at a protest on 20/5 about the need to hold a referendum to separate the Republic of Karelia from the RF. The court ruled that video of the speech is extremist. (Meduza, 6/11)
Rutracker blocked On 9/11 Moscow City Court ordered the permanent shutdown of Rutracker.org, the world's largest Russian-language torrents website. The website will be blocked after the court's decision comes into force in 30 days, spokeswoman Ulyana Solopova told RIA Novosti. (The Moscow Times, 9/11)
Twitter warned On 11/11, Internet regulator Roskomnadzor warned Twitter that it must store Russian users' data in Russia under a new law that took effect in September. (RFE/RL, 12/11)
New restrictions on On 13/11 Kommersant reported that following the “unintentional” leak of a secret military project by journalists state TV on 10/11, the Kremlin instituted new guidelines for military meetings: reporters will have to leave cell phones with security guards outside meetings, photographers cannot take photos before Putin enters the room, and TV cameras must be pointed at the wall until the meeting starts.
(The Moscow Times, 13/11)