• Why do I need to know this? On the morning of 27 March law enforcement agencies in Ingushetia tried to break up a rally against the transfer of land to Chechnya, but were met with resistance from the protesters. After negotiations with the authorities, who promised to permit one more rally, the demonstrators dispersed. Soon a large number of people were arrested as part of a criminal investigation that some in the republic are calling a second ‘Bolotnaya Square case.’

Some news about big victories, and smaller ones. Lawyer Mikhail Benyash, charged with assaulting police officers, was fined 100,000 roubles and jailed for 14 days. A court ruled that the charges against human rights defender Tatyana Koltlyar for fictitious registration of migrants should be dropped. A court in St. Petersburg released Mikhail Tsakunov, held on remand on charges of assaulting a police officer at the ‘He’s Not Our Tsar’ protest. The charges against him were also reclassified as less serious.

• Why do I need to know this? We just want to remind you that even in Russia it makes sense to stand up for your rights.

Some news items about the New Greatness case. The prosecution has requested that Pavel Rebrovsky, a defendant in the case, be sentenced to four years in a prison colony. Sentence will be pronounced on 29 April. The organising committee of the student championship ‘What? Where? When?’ refused to allow a team named New Greatness to take part in the competition unless it changes its name. Police suspect three residents of St. Petersburg of financing New Greatness and Network.

• Why do I need to know this? After Anna Pavlikova and Maria Dubovik were released from pre-trial detention, the charges against them were not dropped and the two defendants face up to 10 years in a prison colony. You can write to those who are still being held on remand. Letters are very important for those behind bars. They are the detainees’ only links with the outside world. You can read how, and what, to write to those in detention in our Guide. You can also sign a petition demanding that the charges be dropped.

Features

Abduction, beating, sacking and daily summons to the FSB — we relate how life has changed for Anton Ammosov, a system administrator from Yakutia, after he posted onlinecomments to news about the Network case and the explosion in the FSB offices in Arkhangelsk.

'If you make any phone calls, we'll pull up your floorboards': an activist in the 'unending protest' has told how his home was searched and he was interrogated.

Thanks

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Illustration by Anastasia Pozhidaeva for OVD-Info