To the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation from Alexei Anatolyevich Navalny Residing at: Moscow, ХХХХХХХХХХХХХ Telephone: ХХХХХХХХХХХХХ Dear Members of the Civic Chamber, On June 6, you issued an appeal to the chambers of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation regarding the need to improve legislation in the area of combating extremism. I would note that the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation’s desire to actively influence the socio-political situation in our country deserves the highest praise. Nevertheless, certain important points raised in the Civic Chamber’s appeal require clarification. In particular, your appeal states: “Me*anwhile, due to existing gaps in the legislation, it remains possible for persons to engage in public activity (including in the media and on the international Internet network) who may not directly call for extremist activity, but who encourage it or allow for the possibility of extremist acts being committed.” And further in the text: “We also consider it unacceptable that current legislation contains no barriers preventing persons and political parties that use extremist language in their statements from entering government.” * As can be understood from the text of the statement, the members of the Civic Chamber are firmly determined to prevent “persons using extremist language in their statements” from “entering government.” At the same time, calls to disobey official court decisions, the actions of public officials, and to engage in vigilantism clearly fall under extremism within the meaning of the relevant draft laws under consideration in the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, which have also been strongly supported by the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation. In the course of my work within the public movement “Committee for the Defense of Muscovites,” I have personally on numerous occasions had to call on citizens not to comply with certain obviously unlawful decisions of state authorities, to obstruct the work of public officials, and to take part in acts of civil disobedience (in particular, unauthorized rallies and pickets, as well as the blocking of roads). Such actions of mine have repeatedly been characterized by certain public officials as “extremist.” And for participating in acts of civil disobedience, I have repeatedly been detained by police officers to draw up administrative offense reports, on the basis of which justices of the peace in Moscow found my actions unlawful and imposed fines as punishment. I would note that I am a member of one of the political parties operating in the territory of the Russian Federation. By participating in election campaigns, and intending to continue doing so in the future, I have a direct intention to “enter government.” In view of the above, and on the basis of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of April 12, 1968 No. 2534-VII, and other applicable legislation, I ask you to: Clarify whether the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation considers calls to disobey official court decisions, the actions of public officials, and to engage in vigilantism to be “extremism” in cases where such calls are made in defense of the lawful interests of citizens of the Russian Federation. Clarify whether the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation considers my activities within the public movement “Committee for the Defense of Muscovites” (in the part in which they were described in this appeal) to be “extremist.” And whether the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation considers it necessary to create for me “legislative barriers making it impossible to enter government.” Assess the actions of A. G. Kucherena, a member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, who, while participating in the conflict between residents of the Yuzhnoye Butovo district of Moscow and the Moscow city government, called on citizens to: not comply with lawful court decisions; obstruct the work of bailiffs; resist law enforcement officers; organize the unlawful blocking of roads. (I would note that I personally fully support A. G. Kucherena’s actions in this case.) These actions by A. G. Kucherena were widely covered by various media outlets, including at the federal level. I ask that the response to this appeal be sent within the prescribed time and in the prescribed manner to the following address: Moscow, Pyatnitskaya St., 31/2, Bldg. 2 A. A. Navalny
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