Back behind bars…
«Oborona» movement coordinator Oleg Kozlovsky arrested
Grigory Pasko, journalist
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The meanness of this arrest, like, by the way, the previous one as well, is in the fact that Oleg was arrested on the eve of the conducting of a large democratic event – the National Assembly, which will take place in Moscow on 17 May. The last time, they arrested Oleg on the eve of the conducting of a Dissenters’ March and sent him off forcibly to serve in the army, although according to medical indications this was prohibited. By the way, for that crime, committed in relation to citizen Kozlovsky, nobody received punishment.
Oleg Kozlovsky (photo by Grigory Pasko)
Nor will they this time either – I am convinced of this. Because in a deceitful state with deceitful leaders it can be only like this, and no other way. Need we even mention that the next day after the arrests of the «Oborona» activists going to a Dissenters’ March, new president of Russia Medvedev in his inauguration speech spoke bombastically about observing human rights?
This time, Oleg Kozlovsky didn’t even manage to get to the place of the conducting of the march. He was arrested on 6 May on Chistoprudny boulevard. By a decision of the Basmanny Court of Moscow of 7 May, he received 13 days of administrative arrest under article 19.3 («Failure to obey the lawful demands of employees of the police»). He was grabbed, like a recidivist hardcore criminal and after a quick “objective” trial placed in a temporary holding isolator (IVS). The National Assembly will take place exactly during this time. Oleg’s relatives and lawyer were unable to find out where he is found for several days.
And only on 10 May did the duty officer of the temporary holding isolator on Gilyarovsky street declare to Oleg’s mother that he had been transferred to another IVS.
The details of the arrest of the «Oborona» activist are noteworthy: According to the court documents, Kozlovsky had been detained by two different employees of the police in two different places at one and the same time. However, the judge said that this fact “does not have anything whatsoever to do with the case under consideration”. In so doing, defense witnesses were removed from the courtroom.
And then there’s this other detail: Take a look at the terms to which the court sentenced the activists.
1. Oleg Kozlovsky – 13 daye (declared a hunger strike)
2. Alexander Weinstein – 6 days
3. Maxim Polyakov – 6 days
4. Ivan Afonin – 6 days (declared a hunger strike)
5. Vladimir Akimenkov – 6 days
6. Nikolai Novokhatsky – 6 days
7. Anton Stradymov – 5 days
8. Pavel Lavrentiev – 5 days
9. Andrei Nikitin – 5 days
10. Vyacheslav Yeliseyev – 5 days
11. Kirill Ananiev – 4 days
12. Dmitry Manetz – 4 days
13. Vladimir Michurin – 4 days
14. Vyacheslav Mertsalov – 3 days
15. Yekaterina Kushnir – 3 days
16. Dmitry Potapov – 2 days
Formally speaking, the “crime” was identical for all: they were walking to the place of the conducting of an event permitted by the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Employees of the police picked them up. (Although in recent times in the number of the police there are plenty of persons in civilian clothing, without uniform and distinctive markings. These guys are precisely those who command the police and beat up rally participants and simply passers-by with exceptional brutality. There is an opinion that these marauding bandit elements – are employees of the FSB.
They sentenced Kozlovsky to 13 days. They could have given him even more. It is understandable that those who are constantly watching Oleg consider him especially dangerous for today’s Putino-Medvedevite power. And that’s why he got 13 days, and not 2-3.
The satirist Shenderovich wrote that under today’s power, the “law-enforcement” organs have been transformed into a “frightening spectacle”. This is already no longer simply “the other side of the mirror”, where good is called evil, and evil decides trials; this is already more than just merry little games – this is the triumph of the lawlessness and all-permissiveness of petty low-life thugs, who never respected laws, and are now in power”. The writer exclaimed: who will stop them? People! It is time to rise up! A monster is devouring our sons!”
A monster is devouring Oleg Kozlovsky. Methodically, deliberately, regularly, with especial persistence. And with absolute impunity.
A trivial cliché phrase hovers in the mind: in his place could be anyone who disagrees with the power of the bandits.
True, there aren’t that many open dissenters yet. Fewer than there are bandits who hide behind the appellation of “law-enforcement organs” and “independent judges”.
It's hard to know how to react to this action.
On the one hand, all the great dissidents (Gandhi, King) faced much time in prison -- and the fact that he's being arrested shows that his actions are affecting the Kremlin. Like they say, you know you are over the target when you start taking flak.
On the other, as Grigori implies, so few Russians are willing to stand behind Kozlovsky that it's easy to fear that the Kremlin could believe it can snuff him out and get away with it. Right now, only Western interest may be protecting him (I expect the Washington Post to shortly publish an op-ed he has written and several major papers have reported on his illegal arrests).
Grigori, don't you think it's time to begin calling the people of Russia themselves to account for failing to protect Oleg, just as they failed to protect many other Soviet and neo-Soviet dissidents? What's wrong with them? What can we do about it? Isn't the first step to call them on the carpet?