Question Author
Protesting in Russia isn't that easy;
'The authorities’ machine of repression has been honed over two decades, to a high degree of sophistication. Rather than breaking heads and teargassing crowds, Russian police get up close and personal, putting young protesters on a pseudo-legal conveyor that threatens to destroy their lives if they persist. People arrested for “participation in an unsanctioned meeting” for the first time receive a 20,000 rouble (£120) fine, and get a criminal record. The penalty is issued on the spot, upon the signature of a confession.
Suspects who refuse to sign are remanded in custody for weeks, awaiting a court hearing – with a 99.5 per cent likelihood of their being convicted anyway. For the second arrest, the penalty is 15 days in jail – unless police choose to charge suspects for organising a meeting, for which they could face three months. A third arrest could mean charges of treason, a law updated last week to include an open-ended definition of acts designed to “undermine the security and stability of the state”, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years.'