RUSSIA: Arrested opposition leaders Alexei Navalny and Sergei Udaltsov walk out of police station

Record ID: 837127

  • Title: RUSSIA: Arrested opposition leaders Alexei Navalny and Sergei Udaltsov walk out of police station
  • Date: 15th December 2012
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 15, 2012) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) POLICE STATION GATES TV PRESENTER KSENIA SOBCHAK, OPPOSITION LEADERS ALEXEI NAVALNY AND ILYA YASHIN WALKING OUT OF POLICE STATION, HUGGING BARBED WIRE AND POLICE SIGN (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER ALEXEI NAVALNY, SAYING: "It's a classic situation. There is an enormous number of policemen sitting there who don't understand why they brought us here and how they should process us, they are waiting for the order from their bosses and nobody knows what to do. Then probably the bosses said to release everyone and they just sighed a relief and released us all." NO ENTRY SIGN ON POLICE STATION GATES (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER ALEXEI NAVALNY, SAYING: "You understand it is not something that's chained to my leg. This criminal case exists somewhere, but it doesn't prevent me from doing what I'm doing. Of course it distracts me or makes me nervous, as well as creates problems for my relatives. It is an unpleasant thing but it will not stop me." TRAFFIC POLICE OFFICER NEAR HIS CAR NAVALNY TAKING BACK SEAT OF HIS CAR NAVALNY'S CAR DRIVING AWAY (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER SERGEI UDALTSOV, SAYING: "Perhaps, everything has ended quite well, but the very fact of the march being banned and of today's arrests is outrageous, I think. What prevented the Moscow authorities from sanctioning an absolutely peaceful rally - as you've seen today people were very peaceful. I didn't see any violence, and arrests happened because of ungrounded police grievances and their excessively high emotions. What prevented them from sanctioning this march so people could quietly come and voice their position? It is a grave violation of our rights." COAT OF ARMS ON POLICE STATION (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER SERGEI UDALTSOV, SAYING: "I'm also happy that people - not dozens or hundreds, but thousands of people - defied the ban and came to express their position without any fear and in such low temperatures. There were predictions that nobody would come, that five people would turn up and leave immediately. This gives hope. That means that the protest movement, despite all the bans, despite all the efforts of the authorities, despite all bans, jailings, threats, criminal cases, the protest has not gone away. " CARS DRIVING NEAR POLICE STATION
  • Embargoed: 30th December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • City:
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA9UXK6C8QW61RPY3SBUV1CKOJ
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Russian police released four opposition leaders on Saturday (December 15) after they were detained at a banned rally against President Vladimir Putin in front of the former KGB security police's headquarters in Moscow.
    The rally was intended to celebrate the first anniversary of demonstrations that grew into the biggest protests against Putin since he rose to power 13 years ago. But the event drew fewer participants than in past months, with only about 2000 people showing up on the central Moscow square.
    Some 30 arrests were made at the unsanctioned rally, among them leftist Sergei Udaltsov, anti-corruption blogger Alexei Navalny, and opposition leaders Ilya Yashin and Ksenia Sobchak Navalny commented on his arrest after being released from a Moscow police station.
    "It's a classic situation. There is an enormous number of policemen sitting there who don't understand why they brought us here and how they should process us, they are waiting for the order from their bosses and nobody knows what to do. Then probably the bosses said to release everyone and they just sighed a relief and released us all," Navalny said.
    On Friday (December 15) Russian authorities announced a new criminal investigation against Navalny for suspected fraud and money laundering, The protest leader already faces up to 10 years in jail on charges of theft from a state timber company which he says are part of a Kremlin campaign to discredit him and silence the opposition since Putin's return to the presidency in May.
    On Saturday, however, Navalny said that he would continue with his work despite the criminal case.
    "You understand it is not something that's chained to my leg. This criminal case exists somewhere, but it doesn't prevent me from doing what I'm doing. Of course it distracts me or makes me nervous, as well as creates problems for my relatives. It is an unpleasant thing but it will not stop me," Navalny added.
    Sergei Udaltsov had more to say about the fact that Russian authorities refused to sanction to opposition gathering.
    "Perhaps, everything has ended quite well, but the very fact of the march being banned and of today's arrests is outrageous, I think. What prevented the Moscow authorities from sanctioning an absolutely peaceful rally - as you've seen today people were very peaceful. I didn't see any violence, and arrests happened because of ungrounded police grievances and their excessively high emotions. What prevented them from sanctioning this march so people could quietly come and voice their position? It is a grave violation of our rights," Udaltsov said upon his release.
    "I'm also happy that people - not dozens or hundreds, but thousands of people - defied the ban and came to express their position without any fear and in such low temperatures. There were predictions that nobody would come, that five people would turn up and leave immediately. This gives hope. That means that the protest movement, despite all the bans, despite all the efforts of the authorities, despite all bans, jailings, threats, criminal cases, the protest has not gone away," Udaltsov added.
    The protests began a year ago over suspicions that Putin's United Russia party benefited from widespread vote-rigging when it won a parliamentary election. Opponents say Putin's domination of Russia is dooming the country to economic and political stagnation at a time when it needs reform.
    The protests reached their peak at the turn of the year but started to wane after Putin won nearly two-thirds of votes in the presidential election in March, enabling him to return for his third presidential term after four years as prime minister.
    The demonstrations accelerated the birth of a civil society two decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, but opposition leaders accuse Putin of clamping down on dissent and freedom of expression since he began his new presidential term in May.
    Laws passed since May broaden the definition of treason, increase the punishment for protesters who step out of line, and tighten control over the Internet and on campaign and lobby groups that receive foreign funding.
    Several opposition leaders, including Navalny, face criminal charges that they say are politically motivated and intended to intimidate them into giving up their opposition activities.
    Putin, 60, denies any crackdown. He maintains a grip on state media and has retained support in the industrial and provincial areas that are his traditional power base.
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