I still haven’t written a single post about ACF’s latest brochure in support of the #Twenty campaign, but it is gradually becoming legendary. It simply presents, in an easy and accessible way, some of the most striking cases of illicit enrichment—nothing really new, it would seem, but it affects authorities of all kinds the way holy water affects vampires.
Just half an hour ago in Magadan (where the authorities keep asking for trouble), handing out this little booklet was declared a... rally!
Seriously. Alburov, who was handing out the brochure on the street a couple of days ago, was detained by the police, and a city judge fined him 22,000 rubles (about $240) for “organizing a mass public event.”
As you may remember, there was a precedent in my case when I was jailed for 15 days for handing out leaflets in the metro. But at least there it was a leaflet about the “VESNA march” (“Spring” march), even if it didn’t specify the location, and I was formally accused of violating campaigning rules.
But the ACF brochure does not contain a single word about rallies, marches, and so on. There are no dates or calls to action in it—it is meant for long-term distribution. Just colorful photos of dachas, palaces, and jewelry worth as much as an apartment hanging from officials’ necks. In other words, it is simply a truthful little booklet about those in power in Russia.
No, apparently Alburov has no right to hand out something like this. In every crowded place in every city across the country, thousands of people stand around handing out leaflets, ads, and little booklets. That is not a problem—as long as it is not an ACF brochure, whose contents instantly turn everything into a rally.
Well, what is there to say? I can only congratulate all ACF staff on a successful product and on this first recognition from faraway Magadan. We will continue distributing it everywhere.
A reminder: if you want to help our Magadan team, go here.
In Novosibirsk, we started collecting signatures yesterday. We need committed signature gatherers, whose work, incidentally, is well paid. Sign up here.