Feedback On December 21st, at 19.30 the 15 days of administrative arrest after protests against electoral fraud have finished, and Filipp Kostenko, activist and employee of ADC Memorial, had to be released, but he was not.
Filipp was arrested for participation in mass protests after the parliamentarian elections. Protesting against the reaction and mass arrests, he went on hunger strike demanding to release all people arrested during the demonstrations. The hunger strike lasted for all 15 days of the his arrest. The lawyers appealed against the court decision, but the judge left it unchanged. Simultaneously, a complaint was sent to the European Court on Human Rights and is already registered.
At the time of planned release, colleagues, friends and journalists gathered at the detention centre at Zakharyevskaya str. and were waiting for the release of the activist. The witnesses say that at the same time workers of the centre “E” entered the detention centre. At the announced time of release, the arrestee was not freed, and the lawyer went to learn the reason from the administration of the centre. It turned out that it was decided that the activist should be arrested again and was transferred to the police department to be prosecuted on another administrative case. Now the activist is again under detention in the police department, waiting for the court session.
The decision on the prior detention was made by the judge E. Ermolina on the basis of non-appearance in the court on December 9th (when Filipp was on his 15-day arrest in the detention centre, and the workers of the law-enforcement agencies knew it very well). Such an action can be considered only as a means of planned repressions.
New court session on article 20.1.1. (disorderly conduct) – for swearing in public at the Petrovskaya embankment on October 17th – will be held on December 22d, at 10.50 in the 153d court department at B. Raznochinnaya str., 23.
Continuation of the detention of Filipp Kostenko is obviously politically motivated, and is, in fact, a revenge for his public activities and protest actions. Taking into account the continuation of hunger strike and danger of unjust punishment, Filipp Kostenko highly needs public support and attention of the independent Media.