MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/. The consequences of unsanctioned protests in Russia are milder than in other countries, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a meeting with the students of the Higher School of Economics (HSE), commenting on the criminal proceedings against participants of unsanctioned rallies in Moscow. An excerpt from this conversation was published on social networks.
"There (at one of the Moscow rallies - TASS) was some guy who threw a plastic cup [at a law enforcement officer]. You have to understand that in America, he would be shot in the head. No court, no investigation, and the police officer would receive an award for that," Peskov said in response to a question about whether the punishment faced by the participants of the rallies fits the crime.
"It is not allowed to throw a plastic cup at a police officer or a member of the National Guard - this is the law," he added. Peskov noted that for this violation, Russian law enforcement officers "may escort you to a bus not in the most gracious manner, twist your arms and take you away, while in America and Canada you’d be shot if you threw a cup or a newspaper, because this is the law, especially during an unsanctioned rally."
In response to a question about Yegor Zhukov, a HSE student detained at an unsanctioned protest and facing a prison sentence, Peskov said: "He is not guilty of anything, no one accused him." He refused to answer questions about the court proceedings, noting that the case involves several expert evaluations, and that it is not appropriate to comment on the ongoing investigation.
"There have been many high-profile cases, and they are ongoing, namely the case regarding your student. Of course, we all want every person under investigation to be innocent. We all want this, this is completely normal. Let’s just wish that this whole story ends with minimal damage," the spokesman concluded.
Unsanctioned Moscow rallies cannot be reevaluated
Unsanctioned rallies in the run-up to the Moscow State Duma election cannot be reevaluated, Peskov told reporters in response to a question on whether the Kremlin has changed its stance on the events.
"These were unsanctioned protests in violation of the current law, and there can be no reevaluation, there is nothing to reevaluate, this is just a statement of fact," Peskov said. He added that the question of whether mass riots took place should be decided by the court.
When asked to comment on critical statements made by head of the Russian Central Election Commission Ella Pamfilova regarding the local elections in St. Petersburg, Peskov noted that he is not aware what her statements are based on. "To be honest, I have no information regarding any appeals against electoral results, whether it’s a one-off or not, and whether it can affect the results of the election. I am not aware of it. I simply don’t have the information that the Central Election Commission has," the Kremlin spokesman said.
Earlier, Pamfilova stated in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta that multiple violations had taken place during the municipal election in St. Petersburg.
Fifteen people have been arrested under a joint criminal case on mass protests and the use of violence against law enforcement officers during the July 27 rally in Moscow. Criminal charges against five people have been dropped, while two of the detained (including HSE student Yegor Zhukov) have been placed under house arrest.
Other individuals charged have received prison sentences under Article 318 Part 1 (Use of force against a public officer) and Article 212 Part 1 (Repeated participation in unauthorized rallies) of the Russian Criminal Code.