Golos coordinator sentenced to four days detention after protests in Saratov

April 2017, Saratov

On 26 March 2017 Russian police arrested hundreds of mostly young people for joining nationwide anti-corruption protests in Russia.The police illegally and violently prevented journalists from their work.

Officially accredited Civic Monitoring Commission was deprived of the right to monitor the activities of the police. Member of this Commission and coordinator of the EPDE member organization "Golos" in Saratov Alexandr Nikishyn, who is also a correspondent of the Information Agency "Free news" ("Svobodnye novosti") and presenter of the "Open channel" ("Otkrytyi kanal") was sentenced and arrested for 4 days.

EPDE conciders his detention as unlawful. The protesters were intimidated for expressing their dissatisfaction with the level of corruption among top government officials. Many of detainees faced court trials. Since the freedom of speach is guaranteed by the Russian constitution, the citizens should be able to execute their right to freely express their opinion. The freedom of speech and assembly, civil control over the actions of the government officials are the basic principles of a democratic state. EPDE is seriously concerned over the actions of the Russian authorities and expresses its solidarity with all illegally arrested people.