Protests in Russia in 2021
date | since January 23, 2021 |
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place | Russia |
root cause | Arrest of Alexei Navalny (call for a demonstration by Navalny, his friends and colleagues) |
Parties to the conflict | |
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|
|
leader | |
Vladimir Putin Mikhail Mishustin Vladimir Kolokolzew Viktor Solotov |
Alexei Navalny Leonid Volkov Lyubov Sobol Mikhail Kassyanov
|
The protests in Russia in 2021 began on 23 January 2021 in response to the arrest of opposition leader Alexei Navalny . They quickly expanded into mass protests across the country, to which the Russian government responded with police violence and imprisonment.
course
background
After a poison attack on him, Alexei Navalny was in Germany for medical treatment. On January 17, 2021, he was arrested in Moscow immediately after his return and sentenced the next day to 30 days in prison in an express trial. At the same time he published his documentary A Palace for Putin about the Russian President Vladimir Putin , in which he addresses the residence at Cape Idokopas and uncovered alleged corruption in this regard. In addition, Navalny calls for demonstrations against the Russian regime. The video was viewed over 86 million times on YouTube within a week.
Nationwide protests begin on January 23, 2021
The wave of protests subsequently spread to over 100 cities across Russia. In Moscow alone, it is estimated that at least 40,000 people took part in the first demonstrations. The security forces used force against them. On the afternoon of January 23, more than 1,000 demonstrators were arrested in numerous Russian cities.
The BBC reported that in the course of the protests across the country over 3000 people, of whom, according to DW in 1000 alone Moscow , were arrested.
Solidarity rallies also took place outside Russia, for example in Berlin, Munich, Prague, Krakow, Helsinki, London, Tallinn, The Hague, Vienna, Tel Aviv, Copenhagen and Tokyo.
Mobilization and government countermeasures
Many of the demonstrations are organized through social media. Videos in support of the protests have been viewed over a hundred million times since Nawalny's arrest. The Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor then stepped up its efforts to suppress online mobilization; she threatened social media companies with fines for disseminating protest-related content. As a result, the Chinese TikTok deleted around 38% of the posts in which people were invited to participate in the demonstrations. According to Roskomnadzor, the US group YouTube and the Russian network VK also removed around 50% of the tagged content. The to Facebook owned Instagram away 17% of his protest-related posts according to the Russian agency. The agency said the deleted posts were calls to “participate in illegal actions”.
Nationwide protests on January 31, 2021
Demonstrations by the political opposition were called for Sunday, January 31, 2021. The Russian security authorities reacted in advance with extensive and massive measures: In Moscow, seven metro stations were closed for the entire day and several streets near the Kremlin were closed. The authorities ordered the closure of shops, restaurants and cafes near the planned demonstration route. The Russian General Prosecutor's Office ordered the Roskomadzor Media Inspectorate to block calls to participate in protests on the Internet. The Russian Interior Ministry issued a strong warning against participating in demonstrations; Should it come to violence, prison sentences of eight to 15 years could be imposed. Alexei Navalny's brother and several of his supporters were placed under house arrest for the day. According to observers, the authorities wanted to use these measures to prevent the demonstrations from being as popular as on the previous weekend and from continuing as in Belarus.
That day, people demonstrated against the government in almost 90 cities in Russia. The authorities acted brutally in some cases against the demonstrators and increasingly against journalists.
In Nizhny Novgorod , the National Guard and police were blocked on Minin and Pozharsky Square . The Gorkovskaya metro station there was closed. From the afternoon onwards, police began arresting protesters on Bolshaya Pokrovskaya Street , near the former Oktyabr cinema. Journalist Alexander Pichugin was also arrested in Nizhny Novgorod. The protesters left the street and gathered in Minin and Pozharsky Square near the Kuzma Minin memorial. OMON and the police pushed the demonstrators from the square. In Novosibirsk more protesters than last week gathered with about 6,000 participants. Around 60 demonstrators were arrested at an early afternoon rally in Vladivostok .
More than 5000 people had been arrested by the evening, according to the observer organization OVD-Info, more than 1600 of them in Moscow.
Conviction of Alexei Navalny on February 2, 2021
The arrested Alexei Navalny was sentenced on February 2, 2021 in a short trial in the Moscow City Court by the presiding judge Natalia Repnikova to a prison term of 2.5 years. The judge agreed with the prosecution's argument that Navalny had systematically violated the probation requirements during his convalescence stay in Germany. Navalny pointed out that, after the poison attack against him , he was in Germany for medical treatment. "Half of Moscow is cordoned off because we have shown that Putin stole the pants of his opponents and smeared them with chemical warfare agents," said Navalny in court.
Hundreds of OMON and a police presence patrolled in front of the courthouse in Moscow, which tagesschau.de described as "unprecedented". The officials cordoned off a large area of the city court with metal bars. Supporters spontaneously announced Nawalny's demonstrations. In the evening, the center in Moscow, including Red Square, was cordoned off.
The first arrests were made before the trial began; numerous journalists were among those arrested. According to tagesschau.de, dozens of prisoner transports were ready. During the trial, police arrested hundreds of Nawalny's followers and put them in the prisoner trucks. According to OVD-Info, the authorities arrested 1,116 protesters in Moscow alone, and 246 arrests were made in St. Petersburg. According to human rights activists, a total of almost 1,400 people were arrested on February 2, 2021.
Deportation of diplomats on February 5, 2021
The Russian Foreign Ministry declared diplomats from Sweden, Poland and Germany to be personae non grata on Friday, February 5, 2021 . The ministry said their role in the January 23, 2021 demonstrations was "incompatible with their diplomatic status". The diplomats from the Swedish and Polish consulates in St. Petersburg and the German embassy in Moscow took part in the unauthorized protests on January 23, 2021. The ambassadors of the three EU countries were summoned and received protest notes.
The Swedish Foreign Ministry denied allegations that diplomats had participated in demonstrations. The Polish Foreign Ministry said that its staff only performed official duties in accordance with the Vienna Convention and that Poland announced that it would take “appropriate steps” if the decision was not reversed. Chancellor Angela Merkel also sharply criticized the move, describing the approach as "unjustified" and "another facet" of "what can be observed in Russia quite far from the rule of law". She said that the situation in Russia should not be linked to the dispute over the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline , that the German position on the project was "initially unaffected".
US President Joe Biden held a key foreign policy address on February 4, 2021. In it he demanded, among other things, the immediate release of Alexei Navalny and named him as a victim of a poison attack. On February 5, 2021, the spokesman for the Russian government, Dmitri Sergejewitsch Peskov , rejected Biden's speech as "aggressive" and "unconstructive". When calling for Nawalny's release, he said his country would not accept any ultimatum.
In the days before, the editor-in-chief of the Russian news platform "Mediasona", Sergei Smirnov, was arrested by the authorities for violating the right of assembly and sentenced to 25 days' arrest on February 4, 2021. Smirnov had shared a Twitter message that contained satirical remarks and the date of a rally for Navalny's release. Smirnov was officially interpreted as a call for protests and he was arrested while walking with his five-year-old son. An unusually large number of Russian media took a stand on the case: the broadcaster RTVi sees it as evidence of the increasing pressure on independent media. The " Kommersant ", which belongs to a Putin confidante, spoke of an "attempt to intimidate" all other journalists. The Association of Independent Russian Media, "Sindikat - 100" called the allegations against Smirnov "hastily cobbled together" and Reporters Without Borders called the case a "theater of absurdity".
gallery
Reactions
After the first protests
Shortly after the first major protests, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned the US diplomatic mission in Moscow of the consequences of interference in the country's internal affairs on January 24, 2021 , reported the Russian state broadcaster RT DE on its Telegram channel. The Ministry accused Washington of having informed too much about possible unauthorized protests on the website of its embassy. The Russian Foreign Ministry wrote that it would incite the United States to "protests in countries with unpleasant governments".
British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab condemned "the use of force by the Russian authorities against peaceful demonstrators and journalists" and called on the Russian government to "release citizens detained during peaceful demonstrations". The UK Foreign Office said in a statement it was "deeply concerned about the detention of peaceful protesters" and "will continue to monitor the situation closely".
The US State Department spokesman said: “We call on the Russian authorities to release all detainees for exercising their universal rights.” On January 31, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “The US condemns the crackdown on peaceful demonstrators and journalists by the Russian authorities for the second week in a row. We renew our call to Russia to release those imprisoned for exercising their human rights, including Alexei Navalny «.
In Germany, the FDP and the Greens demanded an immediate halt to construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as a result of the arrests . The federal government consisting of CDU and SPD, however, continues to adhere to it. Foreign Minister Maas called for the political prisoners to be released .
In Austria, the human rights spokeswoman for the Greens condemned the "arbitrary wave of arrests in the Navalny area" on January 28th. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs retweeted a statement from Josep Borrell , EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Borrell deplored the "widespread arrests and disproportionate use of force against demonstrators and journalists". Russia should guarantee that the right to demonstrate can be exercised without fear of repression.
After the conviction of Navalny
The verdict and arrests on February 2, 2021 sparked international outrage. The German Chancellor Merkel (CDU) called for Nawalny's immediate release and an "end to violence against peaceful demonstrators". Government spokesman Seibert announced that the verdict was far removed from any rule of law. Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) spoke of a severe blow to firmly documented freedom rights and the rule of law in Russia.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (D) called for Navalny to be released immediately and unconditionally. The US would "hold Russia accountable".
"Political dissent is never a crime," said French President Emmanuel Macron .
As before, the Russian government rejected all criticism of the judgment as interference. Russian news agencies quoted a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying that the demands of "Western colleagues" for Navalny's release are decoupled from reality.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ tagesschau.de: Russia: Hundreds of arrests during Navalny protests. Retrieved January 23, 2021 .
- ↑ As It Happened: Tens of Thousands Rally for Navalny's Release Across Russia - The Moscow Times. In: themoscowtimes.com. Retrieved January 24, 2021 .
- ↑ Russia: arrest of Alexei Navalny after return. In: nzz.ch. Retrieved January 24, 2021 .
- ↑ Christian Esch: Alexej Navalny: fellow campaigners fight for his release. In: Der Spiegel. Retrieved January 24, 2021 .
- ↑ Navalny's biggest coup: Putin has reason to get nervous - n-tv.de. In: n-tv.de. Retrieved January 24, 2021 .
- ↑ Alexei Navalny: Millions watch jailed critic's 'Putin palace' film . January 20, 2021.
- ↑ Russia: Tens of thousands demonstrate for Navalny - Politics - SZ.de. In: sueddeutsche.de. Retrieved January 24, 2021 .
- ↑ Demonstrations - tens of thousands of Russians demand Navalny's freedom - politics - SZ.de. In: sueddeutsche.de. Retrieved January 24, 2021 .
- ↑ Moscow Navalny protest draws at least 40,000 people -Reuters estimate . January 23, 2021.
- ↑ More than 40,000 demonstrators and 3,000 arrests during Navalny protests in Russia - derStandard.de. Retrieved January 27, 2021 (Austrian German).
- ↑ As It's Happening: Russia Rallies for Navalny's Release . January 23, 2021.
- ↑ Акции «Свободу Навальному!" 23 января 2021 года. Онлайн . January 23, 2021.
- ↑ Russia: More than 1000 arrests in Navalny demonstrations - Politics - SZ.de. In: sueddeutsche.de. Retrieved January 24, 2021 .
- ^ Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com): Russia: Police detain thousands at pro-Navalny protests | DW | January 24, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021 (UK English).
- ↑ 3,000 arrested at protests demanding Navalny's release. January 23, 2021, accessed January 24, 2021 .
- ↑ BBC: Alexei Navalny: 'More than 3,000 detained' in protests across Russia. Retrieved January 23, 2021 .
- ↑ Large demonstration “Freedom for Alexey Navalny” ( en ) International Society for Human Rights . Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ↑ За рубежом прошли акции солидарности с Навальным (ФОТО, ВИДЕО) . January 23, 2021.
- ↑ Christina Hebel: Protests for Alexej Navalny: The uprising of the TikTok troops. Retrieved January 24, 2021 .
- ↑ The Moscow Times: Social Media Platforms Delete Russian Posts Promoting Navalny Protests - State Censor. January 22, 2021, accessed January 24, 2021 .
- ↑ Russia orders TikTok to restrict calls for Alexei Navalny protests. January 22, 2021, accessed January 24, 2021 .
- ↑ More Than 3,000 Arrested In Russia In Protests Calling For Release Of Alexei Navalny. Retrieved January 24, 2021 .
- ↑ Protests in Russia: Moscow police block metro stations - cafes should close. In: The time . January 30, 2021, accessed February 1, 2021 .
- ^ Friedrich Schmidt, Moscow: Protests in Minsk and Moscow: With the power of the Internet . In: FAZ.NET . ISSN 0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed February 1, 2021]).
- ↑ a b Defying Putin, Russians Return To The Streets To Demand Alexei Navalny's Release. Accessed February 1, 2021 .
- ↑ a b tagesschau.de: Navalny's brother arrested after raids in Moscow. Retrieved February 1, 2021 .
- ↑ Площадь Минина и Пожарского частично перекрыта из-за митингов. January 31, 2021, accessed February 1, 2021 (Russian).
- ↑ Navalny's nationwide protests: Round II. Meduza, accessed February 1, 2021 .
- ↑ В нижегородских соцсетях появились видео задержания на акции протеста 31 января | Открытый Нижний. Retrieved February 1, 2021 .
- ↑ Нижний Новгород / Навальный / За свободу! / 01/ 31 /2021/Камера №1 on YouTube , accessed on January 31, 2021.
- ↑ В Нижнем Новгороде на акции протеста задержан журналист Александр Пичугин | Открытый Нижний. Retrieved February 1, 2021 .
- ↑ Силовики вытеснили митингующих с площади Минина и Пожарского. January 31, 2021, accessed February 1, 2021 (Russian).
- ↑ Акции в поддержку Алексея Навального. Онлайн . January 31, 2021.
- ↑ Putin critic Navalny jailed in Russia . In: BBC News . February 2, 2021 ( bbc.com [accessed February 2, 2021]).
- ↑ With gallows humor to the judgment. February 2, 2021, accessed February 3, 2021 .
- ↑ a b tagesschau.de: Kremlin critic Navalny sentenced to three and a half years in prison. Retrieved February 2, 2021 .
- ↑ a b c d tagesschau.de: After the judgment against Navalny: Almost 1,400 demonstrators arrested. Retrieved February 3, 2021 .
- ↑ a b https://www.npr.org/2021/02/05/964434008/russia-expels-diplomats-from-3-countries-saying-they-attended-pro-navalny-protes
- ↑ a b Because of Navalny protest: Russia expels EU diplomats. In: tagesschau.de. Retrieved February 5, 2021 .
- ↑ Kremlin condemns “aggressive” Biden speech. In: tagesschau.de. Retrieved February 5, 2021 .
- ↑ Russia: A court sentences prominent journalist Sergey Smirnov to 25 days in jail / FIJ. Retrieved February 6, 2021 (French).
- ↑ Sergei Smirnow - Unusually sharp criticism from many Russian media after the arrest of editor-in-chief of the portal "Mediasona". Retrieved on February 6, 2021 (German).
- ↑ tagesschau.de: How Russia wants to portray the protests as interference. Retrieved February 1, 2021 .
- ↑ a b US and UK condemn 'harsh tactics' as thousands of Alexei Navalny supporters arrested amid mass protests. In: news.sky.com. Sky News, accessed January 24, 2021 .
- ↑ https://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/moskau-polizei-nnahm-julia-nawalny-fest-a-8cd09c07-e74c-4212-8d4b-bb65d1eb66be
- ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung: Baerbock calls for a final construction stop on Nord Stream 2. Accessed on January 25, 2021 .
- ↑ Maas calls for the immediate release of Navalny supporters. Retrieved January 25, 2021 .
- ↑ Ernst-Dziedzic: Arbitrary arrests in Russia are clan. Retrieved February 2, 2021 .
- ^ MFA Austria. Archived from the original ; accessed on February 2, 2021 (English).
- ↑ International demands for Nawalny's immediate release - derStandard.de. Retrieved February 3, 2021 (Austrian German).