18.01.15 Chairwoman of the Association of Russian Lawyers for Human Rights opposed the repression and extrajudicial reprisal

As the press service of the Association of Russian Lawyers for Human Rights reported, 18 January 2015 Chairwoman of the Association of Russian Lawyers for Human Rights Maria Bast expressed her position and opposed the repression and extrajudicial reprisal. Maria Bast held a picket  in Moscow on Revolution Square. As  Maria Bast said, the perimeter of the square was surrounded by police, the police permitted the cars. Picket, as Bast reported, lasted for 15 minutes, the police patrolled the square and did not interfere. Maria Bast held in her hands  a poster, which called to stop the repression and supported Mark Halperin, who are in temporary detention facility on 38 days.

on the photo: Maria Bast, Moscow, 18 January 2015

According to Maria Bast, she is not share the political views are of Mark Halperin, and the picket has the human rights character, because as chairwoman of the Association of Russian Lawyers for Human Rights Maria Bast is concerned in connection with the start of the practice of arrests maximum duration for a single picket in Russia and in connection with the beginning of widespread use of extrajudicial reprisal and reprisals against the opposition with the liberal views.

Maria Bast comment:

- It is dangerous precedent, when somebody,  when some hastily by ultranationalist movement say, for example, "Antiymaydan" that they will determine who is the enemy of the people, who is the enemy of Vladimir Putin, who is a "fifth column" who doing the right thing, and who - wrong. And the foundation of "Antimaydana" implies that somewhere in Russia we have "Maidan"? It turns out that the foundation of "anti" - movement provokes t search "Maidan" among residents of Russia.

The foundation of such organizations - a dangerous precedent, which open the unlimited possibilities for officials to use the death battalions, as a rule, mainly from ultranationalists. At the same time, death battalions are reflection of the state, thus the government shares responsibility with these death battalions, ie we are talking about extrajudicial reprisal by State by ultranationalists hands, who decide who are enemies of state.

The danger is that any citizen of the Russian Federation, if he does not like official, for example, often sends a lot of complains about the utility services, the size of the pension, just do not like the offical, then the official may use the death battalions against human and his family.

Cases of extrajudicial reprisal, beatings, intimidation - a dangerous precedent, which is  crime against humanity under international law, and the state in this case, shares responsibility for the perfect death battalions.

I am as a human rights defender must respond and give the assessment of this. The government should not use death battalions, support them, government must condemn these organizations. Moreover, outraged that people for expressing their citizenship, for the protest are unduly severe punishment, for example, 38 days for picket, even inconsistent, but it is excessively severe punishment. The danger is that any citizen who is dissatisfied, for example, corrupt officials, for example, did not receive a pension, or he does not like the program of official, such a person faces with the risks of death battalions and there are risks to be unreasonably severely punished - being arrested on several months.

I opposed the repression and call the authorities to refrain from spreading the practice of extrajudicial reprisal and repression to keep from a dangerous precedent that could lead to hostility within society, hatred and violence. All this incited hatred in society on the basis of political affiliation and allows the use of violence in the society for the difference in political views, which paves the way for the outbreak of the Civil War.

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