The “Moscow Case”: What You Need to Know

In mid-July 2019, peaceful protests began in Moscow, triggered by the exclusion of independent candidates from the September 8 city legislature elections. Authorities responded with brute force, in many cases violently confronting the peaceful protesters. In July-October, 23 people were arrested on charges of “mass rioting” and/or assaulting police. The mass rioting charges are groundless: video footage of the events leading up to these arrests show police breaking up peaceful marches and assemblies.   Despite the fact that most of the police assault charges ranged from excessive to groundless,…

© Human Rights Watch - mercredi 30 octobre 2019