Russia’s Astrakhan: activist fined and detained for using Ukrainian flag emoji. He goes on hunger strike

In the Russian city of Astrakhan, a court has arrested a member of the local department of Russia’s People’s Freedom Party, Yaroslav Savin, for five days and fined him 30,000 rubles (€390), Russian human rights project OVD-Info reports, citing his wife Marina.

The man was detained for having the Ukrainian flag emoji used in the name of his Telegram channel. The channel had 12 subscribers at the time. A protocol on “discrediting” the Russian army was drawn up against him because of the emoji. He was fined in accordance with the protocol. 

Furthermore, Savin was arrested under the article on petty hooliganism coupled with failing to obey police agents’ orders. Savin allegedly committed the act of hooliganism while he was being detained and taken to a police station.

Yesterday, 18 February, the activist, held in a special detention centre, went on a hunger strike. His wife says that in practice he went on a hunger strike on 17 February when he refused to eat the food from the care package she brought for him to the police. 

On 17 February, police agents came to the Savins’ flat. The agents kept trying to make Savin leave the flat, but he refused to. Afterwards, the law enforcement agents promised Savin that there would be no law violations [pinned on him] if he went with them. Savin agreed to go with the police agents and was taken to a police station, where two protocols were eventually drawn up against him.