I will represent before the European Court two Russian citizens: Anton Nosik and Alexei Kungurov. Both will appeal violations of their rights there in connection with unlawful criminal prosecution.
And here’s the thing: their political views are completely opposite.
Nosik wrote a post titled “Wipe Syria Off the Face of the Earth.” It argued that Syria should be bombed even more. The Russian Aerospace Forces effectively carried out that call, smashing Aleppo to pieces. Now we’re even being accused of war crimes.
Kungurov wrote a post titled “Whom Putin’s Falcons Are Bombing.” It argued that there should be less bombing. And that it was entirely unclear who was being bombed at all—it certainly did not look like ISIS. And our Ministry of Defense effectively agreed with Kungurov by entering into an alliance with those it had previously bombed and called terrorists.
Nevertheless, for these two posts—similar only in that both were essentially close to the official position of the Russian authorities—both Nosik and Kungurov were prosecuted criminally.
They were put on trial for a long time. With prosecutors, clerks, transcripts, and expert assessments. Millions of rubles of taxpayers’ money were thrown at each case. And in the end, they were duly convicted.
Kungurov was also held in pretrial detention (SIZO) and received an actual prison sentence—2.5 years. In other words, part of his life was stolen from him.
The “trial” of both men was turned into a complete circus, where the criminal procedure code and plain common sense were mocked in the most elaborate ways. It’s all vividly described on their blogs—go read it.
Why is this happening? Because the damned Leviathan—the Russian state in its current form—devours any citizens simply for having an opinion. Right-wingers and left-wingers, nationalists and liberals alike. You’re only allowed to open your mouth if you’re on the approved list and admitted onto the TV shows of Solovyov/Kiselyov (pro-Kremlin television hosts). Then they’ll put you on screen and label you “expert Petrov” or “political analyst Vasechkin.” But if you disagree—sentence.
That picture is Russian politics in a nutshell.
I am running in the election in part to immediately repeal the repressive and absurd Article 282. All political prisoners—from nationalists to liberals, from right to left—will be released from prison on the very first day.
And proper criminal cases will be opened against those who fabricated such unlawful prosecutions—for knowingly bringing criminal charges against innocent people.
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