Russians have taken to the streets to protest against internet restrictions: several have been detained
This is reported by the local publications ‘OVD-Info’ and Sota.
On 29 March, a nationwide protest against internet censorship was planned in Russia. In various cities, organisers submitted applications to local authorities to hold events, but were refused for various reasons — for example, due to the ‘epidemiological situation’ or a last-minute rollerblading session.
In the city of Tomsk, a local councillor was refused permission for all 15 locations proposed for a potential rally. He stated that following this, security forces visited his wife at her workplace, questioned him several times about whether he would hold the event, and then detained him.
The Russian authorities resorted to other tricks as well. For example, in Moscow, just before the protest on Bolotnaya Square, they began painting the benches. Police vans and security forces were stationed near the square, checking passers-by’s documents and subsequently detaining people.
Media reports indicated that on 29 March, 12 people were detained in Moscow, 2 in St Petersburg, 2 in Kaluga, and 1 in Voronezh.
One of those detained, Artur Wagner, stated that police officers struck him on the back of the head and threatened to beat him up, which they would film on video. He was also pressured to testify against his aunt, Katerina Wagner, with whom he had been detained on Bolotnaya Square — he gave this testimony, after which he was released from the police station.
Another detainee in Moscow, Vladislav Azarochkin, stated that he was beaten by several police officers and threatened with torture and rape.
It was not only protests against the internet blackout that were dispersed. According to media reports, the organiser of a rally against the mass slaughter of livestock was detained in Novosibirsk.
