In Moscow, on the Yauza Gate square, a rally was held to support Ildar Dadina and several other political prisoners. Participants also called for the abolition of the ‘protest’ Article 212.1 of the Criminal Code, the law against participating in unsanctioned protests, as reported by a correspondent for Grani.  The rally was attended by about 400 people.

The activists held slogans such as: "Anyone who thinks is the enemy," "Putin, bring in your henchmen," "The Constitution should be read to children as it is a good story," "Gangsters are in the Kremlin, the patriots are in prison," and "The Courts are the shame of Russia."

"We have called this meeting to demand that authorities comply with the provisions of the Russian Constitution that guarantees citizens’ freedom to gather and express their citizenship.  We also demand the repeal of the infamous and repressive Article 212.1, termination of the criminal cases against activists and the immediate release of Ildar Dadina!  We also support other political prisoners: Ivan Nepomnyashchikh, Dmitriy Bochenkov, Daria Polydova, Aleksey Sutuga and many, many others who languish behind bars without cause," stated the message.

On December 7th, a judge in the Basmanny Court of Moscow, Natalya Dudar, issued the first judgment under Article 212.1 of the Criminal Code (repeated violations during meetings), which can result in up to five years imprisonment.  This is the first trial decision under the Article which was introduced into the Criminal Code in 2014.  Dadin was sentenced to three years of imprisonment in a general government colony.

The trial of another civil activist, 76-year-old Vladimir Ionov, has been ongoing since September.  On November 25th, during the debate in the Ionov case, the Prosecutor requested the defendant serve three years on probation along with the three year trial period.  Ionov was also banned from leaving Moscow and is also banned from attending mass events.  Ionov said that this restriction will be not observed.

On December 21st, Ionov announced that he fled to Ukraine.  The activist crossed the Russian-Ukraine border illegally, as he does not have a passport, and is now living in Kharkov with his girlfriend, Olga Brown.  She entered Ukraine legally.  Ionov intends to obtain legal status in Ukraine and to apply for political asylum.

On Tuesday, the Preobrazhensky District Court of Moscow satisfied the petition of the Public Prosecutor and returned the Ionov case to the Prosecutor.  He was declared wanted.  The court decided to detain Ionov and deliver him to the court.  The proceedings were then suspended.

Cases were also filed under Article 212.1 against activists Mark Halperin and Irina Kalmykova. 

In February, the Human Rights Сentre "Memorial" described the Ionov prosecution, as well as the Halperin and Dadina cases, as illegal and politically motivated.  "We believe that the persecution of these activists is illegal and politically motivated because it is performed under Article 212.1 of the Criminal Code," stated the document.  As human rights activists have reported, this Article as well as Part 8 of Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code, are "aimed at the consolidation and retention of power by those with authority by limiting the freedom of meetings and the involuntary termination of the public activities of people exercising their freedom to meet in order to critique those in power."

  Russia, Human Rights, Article 212.1, Political Prisoners

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