On June 18, three human rights activists, activists of Strategy 18, were detained at the Russian presidential administration: Ekaterina Bazhanova, Karine Kovkhaeva and Kirill Shishkanova.
According to the Russian human rights portal OVD-info, Bazhanova stood with a poster in support of activist Konstantin Kotov (he had previously opposed the annexation of Crimea), convicted of “repeated violations of the rules for public events,” and Kovkhaev and Shishkanov in support of Crimean Tatars.
Later, the police released the detainees with an obligation to appear to draw up a protocol under the article on violation of the rules for holding a public event (Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses).
Also, pickets in support of the Crimean Tatars took place in another district of Moscow.
“If ill-wishers walked by, they said something negative, we immediately left this place. They will likely inform the police. And now they are taking away for single pickets – without even explaining the reasons. In the centre of Moscow, Karina Starostina was taken with a poster for the freedom of the Crimean Tatars, ”the activist said. Russian activists from St. Petersburg and Moscow united in a perpetual rally called “Strategy-18” in memory of the day of deportation of Crimean Tatars – May 18, 1944. Every month, on the 18th, activists take to the streets with pickets, their goal is to tell about the situation in Crimea, to inform Russian society about the facts of violation of human rights and freedoms.
