posted 8 May 2017, 07:05 by Rights in Russia
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updated 8 May 2017, 07:07
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On 30 April 2017 civil society activist Darya Kulakova, 23, was jailed for 10 days in Tatarstan for organizing a campaign of writing letters to President Putin, RFE/RL has reported. Some of the letters called on President Putin not to run for a fourth term. According to RFE/RL, the authorities in Tatarstan say Darya Kulakova, "violated a law on public demonstrations and disobeyed police in connection with the public submission of letters to Putin's regional reception office." The incident took place on 29 April 2017 when protesters took to the streets in a number of Russian cities. The protest in Kazan, which had been organized by Open Russia, of which Kulakova is an activist, had been banned by the city's authorities. RFE/RL reports: " In lieu of the protest, Kulakova and her fellow activists decided to walk to the Kremlin's regional reception center in Kazan to submit letters to Putin. After several activists dropped their letters in a box brought out to the street by an employee, Kulakova was detained by police. Her fellow activist, Lyaysan Ismagilova, was detained later, and both were held by police overnight." The police accused Kulakova of organizing an "unsanctioned public event...in the form of submitting letters to the Russian president's reception that voiced demands against the policies of the current authorities." Among the demands set out in the letters were calls for Putin not to run for a fourth term in office, and for a halt to the construction of a waste incineration plant in the city. While Kulakova was sentenced to 10 days in jail, Izmagilova was sentenced to 36 hours' community service.
A video of the arrest of Darya Kulakova can be seen here
Photo of Darya Kulkova: Idel.RealiiSource: 'Russian Activist Jailed Over Letters Submitted To Putin,' RFE/RL, 30 April 2017 |
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