Investigation Hides Traces of Police Special Action on Manezh Square

Investigation didn't have enough qualifying signs to recognize events on Manezh Square on December, 11th as mass riots, the newspaper "Kommersant" writes on December, 21st referring to the official representative of Investigatory Committee Vladimir Markin.

Participants of the meeting can be accused only of appeals to disorders, insubordination to militia and violence over citizens. Appeals, under the version of investigation, were not realized thanks to militia intervention. It makes responsibility of figurants minimum despite "loud" article of the Criminal Code.

So that events on Manezh Square were recognized mass riots, weapon or explosive including used for resistance to law enforcement officers should be applied during non-subordinated meeting, there also should be made arsons or pogroms.

All in all 22 criminal cases were opened in relation to the most active participants of disorders on Manezh Square as it was informed earlier. No more than three years of imprisonment threaten to them taking into account formulation of articles. Ilya Kubrakov who is in custody in the murder case of citizen of Kirghizia is named the main organizer of disorders by inspectors.

As it became known on December, 20th, several tens participants of the meeting which passed on December, 18th in Ostankino were fined on 500 roubles each. Theу were convicted of infringement of legislation on mass actions: they tried to pass to the All-Russian Exhibition Centre after the meeting was coordinated with authorities.

From editorial board: December, 11th gets more and more signs of police special action though "charged" public continues to ache about "spontaneous Russian protest" and other rubbish.

Qualifying signs to begin with. Let's compare - there were enough for the court qualifying signs of organization of mass disorders to imprison Sergey Udaltsov, though Udaltsov in general did nothing and had no physical possibility to do it as he was detained in the face of hundreds people directly on the meeting coordinated with authorities on Pushkin Square. It will be two months soon as Grigory Torbeev stay in pre-trial detention center on charge in actions absolutely insignificant in comparison with events on Manezh Square - ostensibly Torbeev put damage to the militiaman in the process of detention though at the moment his hands were tied up.

In general our future police doesn't bother itself with search of at least traces of credibility and legality when it qualifies actions of real political opposition - it simply makes report under carbon paper with already ready qualifying signs. The court doesn't pay attention either to discrepancies of time and scene, or to other "trifles" - such as non-observance of legal procedure. For example, I remember a case when by 18.00 I was already in paddy wagon, while it was stated in black and white in report that employees who "detained" me took up watch only by 19.00. But it was ok, the public prosecutor of Moscow Semin "did not find" any discrepancies.

While suddenly such scrupulousness here...

It's natural in general - after all there were professional provokers whose names and photos had been already published appeared among arrested people. What could be done with them now? To be imprisoned? My God, no - guys would be fined, maximum - several days of staying in prison which they have already passed. Further - "to draw duty to the native land" again. Unless to imprison own secret agents for successful performance of the task...

If somebody believes that Kurbakov - 19 years old - could organize meeting with participation of several thousand people? Meanwhile he passes as "organizer". However, he also is under inquest in murder case of the Kirghiz, so easier article on organization of mass riots is covered by heavier one - murder with aggravating circumstances. Formally there's "organizer" and nobody cares that that "organizer" had no possibility to organize pogrom on Manezh Square. Militia doesn't search for the true organizers.

Why doesn't search? The reasonable answer only one - they to it and so are perfectly known. But to arrest them at the authorities there is no desire, and now there are no also bases - disorders "were not". Means, wasn't at them and organizers.

Ah, yes, Udaltsov is imprisoned as "organizer" of mass riots which had no place at all... Well, that is Udaltsov. Udaltsov should be imprisoned - not for nothing Nurgaliev accused "left extremists" of organization of actions on Manezh Square.

Certainly, I don't urge to re-estimate events on Manezh Square and to start placing people into prisons - football fans, as well as other citizens have the right to use article 31 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation and to gather peacefully without weapon where they consider it necessary. It is surprising only that this article operates selectively in our country: it's valid for the Prokremlin movements and now for fans and is not valid for political opposition. Basically, that was the reason people protested on Manezh Square - why law operates in relation to one people and not always for others?

However, I am not satisfied with selectivity of our "bodies" - if some tens citizens including police officers were beaten by crowd not as a result of mass riots but in individual order, how many people should suffer that these disorders in the opinion of authorities became "mass"? Udaltsov, judging by court, managed to make "mass riots" alone. Torbeev having only flyer alone attacked the group of militiamen and made it so skillfully that "put damages" with his hands being tied up.

We don't need miracle men having such law-enforcement and judicial systems, each militiaman in our country - is miracle man.

Anatoly Baranov, editor-in-chief of FORUM.msk

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