On Thursday, another five people were arrested over the criminal case in the disorders at the opposition rally on the Bolotnaya Square on May 6. So, the number of arrested people reached 13. The counteraction to the arrests can become a new factor, which consolidates the opposition.
There are some grounds to believe that the number of arrested people will grow steeply, the Novye Izvestia daily affirmed. Human rights activist Sergei Davidis said in his blog (with the reference to reliable sources) that those 184 detectives, who are investigating the Bolotnaya criminal case, were given the orders for each detective to bring two people to criminal responsibility. “For this purpose they received the materials of all administrative cases on the detainees on May 6, on which they are seeking to falsify the criminal cases,” Davidis wrote down in his blog. If the photo and video evidence was gathered against the first detainees, the detectives can hardly find any grounds to bring the latest detainees to criminal responsibility even at the Basmanny District Court.
However, the organizing committee of the united opposition decided on Thursday to hold another massive rally on September 15, the newspaper reported.
Activist of the anarchic movement Autonomous Action Marina Popova told the RBC daily that the consultations continue for the creation of a common committee for the support to the arrested people. The arrested people have very different views, but all opposition political groups realize that they can help their comrades and not to allow for new arrests only in common. In a committee, which the anarchists want to form, they want to see “all activists, except for nationalists.”
Press secretary of the Other Russia Party Alexander Averin explained to the newspaper that he supports in every possible way that various movements are pooling their efforts in the struggle against repressions and The Other Russia will join this project with pleasure. The situation of Limonov’s activist Alexander Kamensky, who was arrested for the disorders on the Bolotnaya Square, is the strangest one, as he was detained at another protest action on the Revolution Square on May 6. It is unclear how he could participate in the disorders on the Bolotnaya Square.
The Rosuznik initiative told the RBC daily that they are already coordinating their activities with the Agora association. Together they are supporting six out of 13 arrested people. The principle, on which their supported arrested people were selected, is the non-partisanship, because members of the parties should help their party partisans. The Rosuznik initiative has an e-wallet, in which the donations are raised and are spent for the services of lawyers.
The sources of the newspaper are saying similar things. Even if the detectives succeed to prove the guilt of these 13 arrested people fully, the campaign for their support will not stop. This is because the authorities do not want to investigate the reasons for crowding at the entrance on the square and do not want to bring the OMON riot policemen who used the excessive force to responsibility. The arrested people “were not preparing just for the fight” (they did not bring weapons to the demonstration), but turned out to be dragged in an unexpected standoff, and if they are guilty they sooner acted in the state close to the affect.