Police arrived to the human rights project Open Space in St. Petersburg, WHRD Irina Putilova’s apartment is raided
On 16 June 2022 law enforcement officers raided woman human rights defender Irina Putilova’s apartment. The raid was sanctioned as a part of the criminal case on “hooliganism motivated by political and ideological hatred” under article 6.1.213 of the Criminal Code launched against human rights project Open Space. It is an article that assumes jail time, up to 7 years if sentenced, yet, the individual who will receive the persecution remains unidentified. On the same day, the law enforcement officers arrived at the office of human rights project Open Space in St. Petersburg but they didn’t have a warrant to undertake any search activities, and left.
On 14 June 2022, a group of vigilantes from the Russian Liberation Movement, SERB, attacked an art exhibition Autonomous Zone in the Moscow office of the human rights project Open Space. SERB representatives reported the exhibition to the police. The law enforcement officers who arrived on site shut down the exhibition and confiscated the exhibited artworks, alongside posters and stickers from the Open Space office as part of a preliminary investigation for the “public discredit of the actions of the Russian Federation armed forces” an offence under Article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation. Following the events, on June 16, at midnight, law enforcement officers raided the apartment of Open Space volunteer Daria Soboleva, who was present on site at the time of attack.
The Open Space human rights project has, over the years, united like-minded activists from across Russian cities through project spaces in St. Petersburg and Moscow. The project involves community centres for activists which offers a space for open communication and collaboration. Open Space coordinates various projects, including projects that offer support to political prisoners and their families in Russia. Open Space provides a safe space for human rights defenders and grassroots activists to host events and receive psychological and emergency support if facing persecution. The first Open Space opened its doors in 2012 in Saint Petersburg, the second in Moscow in 2021.
On 16 June 2022 law enforcement officers raided woman human rights defender Irina Putilova’s apartment. The raid was sanctioned as a part of the criminal case on “hooliganism motivated by political and ideological hatred” under article 6.1.213 of the Criminal Code launched against human rights project Open Space. It is an article that assumes jail time, up to 7 years if sentenced, yet, the individual who will receive the persecution remains unidentified. On the same day, the law enforcement officers arrived at the office of human rights project Open Space in St. Petersburg but they didn’t have a warrant to undertake any search activities, and left.
The Open Space human rights project has, over the years, united like-minded activists from across Russian cities through project spaces in St. Petersburg and Moscow. The project involves community centres for activists which offer a space for open communication and collaboration. Open Space coordinates various projects, including projects that offer support to political prisoners and their families in Russia. Open Space provides a safe space for human rights defenders and grassroots activists to host events and receive psychological and emergency support if facing persecution. The first Open Space opened its doors in 2012 in Saint Petersburg, the second in Moscow in 2021. Irina Putilova – is a woman human rights defender and lawyer. She has been collaborating with human rights project OVD-info, Human Rights Centre Memorial and International Memorial on a regular basis. She has been part of a legal task force on the Open Space human rights project in Moscow.
On June 16 in the late evening, Moscow law enforcement officers raided woman human rights defender Irina Putilova’s apartment and questioned her as a witness to the case, related to the shutting down of the exhibition ‘Autonomous Zone’ in the Open Space Moscow two days ago. The raid was sanctioned as a part of the criminal case on “hooliganism motivated by political and ideological hatred” under article 6.1.213 of the Criminal Code. Earlier that day, on 16 June 2022 at midnight, law enforcement officers from the Criminal Investigation Department raided the apartment of the Open Space volunteer Daria Soboleva, without seizing any of her personal belongings.
On 16 June 2022, law enforcement officers arrived the office of human rights project Open Space in St. Petersburg, yet they didn’t have a warrant to undertake any search activities, and left. In the media, law enforcement commented that “citizens, who gather in the Open Space discuss Russia in a negative light, justify the actions of Ukraine, Ukrainian nationalists, and all these circles lead to conflicts. Minors come here, this attracts attention of the police. It is necessary to take preventive measures.”
On 12 June the human rights project Open Space opened its exhibition ‘Autonomous Zone’ in Moscow. The art exhibited is authored by those who are or have been recently detained in detention centres and temporary isolation wards because of their political and anti-war positions, and included various artworks and testimonies that reflected politically-motivated detention. On 14 June 2022, the police, tipped off by the vigilantes from SERB, confiscated the displayed artworks, anti-war stickers from the walls, an LGBTI-themed publication, and old posters with photos of political prisoners.
Front Line Defenders reiterates its’ concerns about the continuing attack against the human rights project Open Space, and the targeting of project’s volunteers and lawyers. It believes that the Open Space is being solely targeted as a result of their legitimate and non-violent human rights work as well as their anti-war position. Front Line Defenders expresses its grave concern regarding the systematic targetting of human rights organisations for their anti-war position and the so-called “discrediting of the Russian armed forces,” as it disproportionately targets human rights defenders and has a chilling effect on civic liberties in Russia and silences human rights voices in the country.
On 14 June 2022, a group of vigilantes from the Russian Liberation Movement, SERB, attacked an art exhibition Autonomous Zone in the Moscow office of the human rights project Open Space. SERB representatives reported the exhibition to the police. The law enforcement officers who arrived on site shut down the exhibition and confiscated the exhibited artworks, alongside posters and stickers from the Open Space office as part of a preliminary investigation for the “public discredit of the actions of the Russian Federation armed forces” an offence under Article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation. Following the events, on June 16, at midnight, law enforcement officers raided the apartment of Open Space volunteer Daria Soboleva, who was present on site at the time of attack.
The Open Space human rights project has, over the years, united like-minded activists from across Russian cities through project spaces in St. Petersburg and Moscow. The project involves community centres for activists which offers a space for open communication and collaboration. Open Space coordinates various projects, including projects that offer support to political prisoners and their families in Russia. Open Space provides a safe space for human rights defenders and grassroots activists to host events and receive psychological and emergency support if facing persecution. The first Open Space opened its doors in 2012 in Saint Petersburg, the second in Moscow in 2021.
On 12 June 2022, the human rights project Open Space opened its exhibition Autonomous Zone in Moscow. The art exhibited is authored by those who are or have been recently detained in detention centres and temporary isolation wards because of their political and anti-war positions, and included various artworks and testimonies that reflected politically-motivated detention.
On 14 June 2022, police and an investigator came to the Moscow office of the human rights project Open Space. One of the leaders of SERB arrived also and made a number of complaints to the police who were present about the exhibition and the space itself. Upon arrival to the site, the law enforcement officers confiscated the displayed artworks. The SERB activists insisted that the police also confiscate anti-war stickers from the walls, an LGBTI-themed publication, and old posters with photos of political prisoners that the Open Space stored for the “Mothers against Political Repressions” group.
The law enforcement officers told an Open Space volunteer that they confiscated artworks and other paraphernalia as part of a preliminary investigation into Open Space allegedly committing "public actions aimed at discrediting operations of the Russian Armed Forces that protect the interests of Russia and its citizens and maintain world peace and security" as per Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Civic Conduct of the Russian Federation, and “insulting a government official” as per Article 319 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The Open Space reported that it is unclear who will face the charges: the authors of the artworks, the exhibition organisers, or the Open Space itself.
After the raid, the police officers took the Open Space volunteer who was present, Daria Soboleva, accompanied by an attorney, in for questioning at the Basmanny Police Precinct. When Daria Soboleva refused to testify against herself, invoking Article 51 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the law enforcement officers refused to let her go before she spoke. Later that evening, Daria was released after not conceding any information. On June 16, at midnight, law enforcement officers from the Criminal Investigation Department raided Daria Soboleva’s apartments. The raid was sanctioned due to an opened criminal case against an unidentified person, for vandalism carried out by a group of people, motivated by political, ideological, or other type of hate (part 2, Article 214 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The raid finished around 2 am, with no personal items being seized.
Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned about the forced closure of the art exhibition at the premises of the human rights project Open Space and the raid of its volunteer’s apartment. Front Line Defenders believes that the Open Space is being solely targeted as a result of their legitimate and non-violent human rights work as well as their anti-war position. Front Line Defenders expresses its grave concern regarding the systematic targetting of human rights organisations for “discrediting of the Russian armed forces,” as it disproportionately targets human rights defenders and has a chilling effect on civic liberties in Russia and silences human rights voices in the country.
