1
What happened?
In Penza, military registration and conscription offices, with the participation of security forces, carry out mass raids. This became known after local resident Natalia Solomina posted on the VKontakte website on June 17 videoWhere women try to fight men – they sit on a bus guarded by a military convoy. “Media Zone” I was able to installThe video was filmed near the building of the military registration and enlistment office in the Oktyabrsky and Zheleznodorozhny districts of the city.
Based on reports that have appeared in the media and Telegram channels of human rights projects, arrests are taking place messyQuestions arise First of all, for those who once received a summons, but never attended to it, and then for men “They’re taking me to sign a contract.”. There is also evidence of the use of violence against detainees; It has been recorded in various sources, but has not yet been confirmed.
Meanwhile, the urban media did not cover what was happening in any way I noticed “Important Stories” in local publications are shared by readers They were indignant Journalists silence
By midday on June 19, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Penza Region published Official position: Information about arrests and mass coercion to sign contracts allegedly “does not correspond to reality.” According to the administration, the police provided “assistance” to the Military Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee in planned raids to search for those who had obtained Russian citizenship but had not registered with the army.
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2
Who is arrested and with what logic? Are these the same raids happening in Moscow?
The head of the legal department says that what is happening in Penza cannot be compared with the Moscow raids “Recruit Schools” Timothy Faskin:
When we talk about Moscow, we talk about the fact that conscripts who evade conscription for military service are detained there. They are forced to join the army. At Penza, even from the scattered reports that exist, it is clear that it was not taken for this purpose.
Forced conscription is actually more common in Moscow – but arrests there occur in a targeted manner (for example, in the subway). That is, they are looking for specific people. “Here we saw attempts to accuse completely different men, most of them in the reserve, of violating the rules of military registration,” he says. “For this reason, some of them were pushed onto buses, some were taken to police stations, to the regional military registration and enlistment office, and some were pressured and forced to sign contracts.” Artem KligaHead of the Legal Department of the Conscious Objector Movement.
According to the expert, in Penza, “everyone in a row” is detained: those who, for example, have “some minor traffic violations” or those who are drunk.
Artem Kliga believes this raises serious concerns: “What we saw is worrying. Because previously such raids were just a show, for example, for journalists. Three or four employees stood [военкомата] In front of the camera at some airports, they were handing out summonses.”
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The use of violence and forced delivery of people to the military registration and enlistment office is a new trend. It is not known whether it will be scaled. Similar street arrests have been reported before. About this booksFor example, the “Call of Conscience” project. But before the mass arrests in Penza, human rights activists had only recorded isolated cases.
However, Timofey Vaskin urges us to treat the events in Penza with caution: “These are mainly letters [об облавах] From the “I saw it, they told me” category. There are also those from whom the men were taken directly, but any specific circumstances are not entirely clear. “We cannot say exactly what is happening, who is at risk, and what is happening to them.”
3
I’m afraid they’ll catch me on the street too. What to do in this case? Is it possible to protect yourself at all?
It cannot be ruled out that raids based on the Penza scenario will be repeated in other cities and regions. This is correct, By assumption Lawyer Alexei Tapalov, may look like the next wave of mobilization.
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to avoid arrest in such cases, human rights activists believe. This was confirmed in a conversation with Meduza by both Timofey Vaskin and Artem Kliga.
However, there is an algorithm of actions that can help after arrest. We’ve put it together with the experts:
- You definitely need to get a power of attorney for someone close to you – and it’s best to get it now if you haven’t already. Relatives will be able to act on your behalf, search for advocates and contact the relevant departments.
- It is important to understand in advance that signing a contract is a completely voluntary process. explores Federal Law “On Military Service and Military Service”It enshrines the basic principles.
- If you are detained, you need to video and audio record what happens. Moreover, during the registration process, it is useful to express all the details of the situation: addresses, time, names of detainees and detainees, and their positions. This evidence can be published on the Internet. You can use them to terminate the contract if you have to sign.
- Human rights activists also recommend submitting the complaint to all possible parties: the Public Prosecution, the Investigation Committee, the Ministry of Defence, the Human Rights Commissioner, and representatives. It is worth going to court to declare that the actions of the security forces are illegal.
- Remember, don’t sign anything and stand your ground. In extreme cases, if the contract is signed, Timofey Vaskin advises “to run away, look for a lawyer and solve the problem within the framework of a criminal case.”
Ekaterina Mezentseva