DISINFO: Russia respects human and civil rights: police to illegal gatherings like in any other country
SUMMARY
Russia respects human and civil rights. Russian police are responding to illegal gatherings the same as other countries in similar cases. Those who break the law have to take responsibility for that.
RESPONSE
The protests in Moscow started in July after the election committee banned opposition candidates from running for the elections to the city council - the Moscow City Duma, disqualifying their ballots because of what officials claimed were irregularities in the 5,000 signatures each had to gather to run. The protesters also demanded the right to fair elections and the right to free assembly. Professional media reports that Moscow citizens have been peacefully protesting in the streets, and the state has responded with unprecedented repression. According to the EU, detentions of peaceful demonstrators, disproportionate use of force, police raids against opposition politicians seriously undermine the fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly. These fundamental rights are enshrined in the Russian constitution. The EU also urged the Russian authorities to respect Russia’s OSCE commitments and other international obligations when conducting the upcoming local elections According to the Humans Right Watch World Report 2019, the Russian government relentlessly reduced space for peaceful dissent, political opposition, and civic activism in Russia during 2018. Authorities routinely dispersed peaceful opposition protests and arrested and fined protesters, including children. Authorities carried out surveillance of social media to track down and detain activists who they thought might join opposition protests. See a similar case here.