A court in Russia’s St. Petersburg has handed a five-day jail term to Novaya Gazeta reporter Serafim Romanov, his colleagues told Novaya Gazeta. Europe.
He was found guilty of violating public assembly rules.
Romanov was detained on 21 September during an anti-mobilisation protest rally. He shot a video of someone playing an out-of-tune piano at the police station.
Yesterday, protests against the “partial mobilisation” took place across Russia. Police hit protesters with batons; there were also reports of draft notices given to detained protesters. In particular, SOTA reporter Artyom Kriger was handed a draft paper at a Moscow police station.
According to OVD-Info, a human rights group monitoring political arrests, over 1,325 people were detained on 21 September in 42 Russian cities. At least 537 people were detained in Moscow, while at least 480 were detained in St. Petersburg.
On 21 September, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation of troops in Russia. According to the presidential order, those who previously served in the Armed Forces, have certain military occupational specialties and the corresponding experience are eligible for mobilisation. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu stated that a total of 300,000 reservists would be drafted.
The “heads” of the self-proclaimed “LPR” and “DPR” as well as the occupation “authorities” of Ukraine’s Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions announced on 20 September that they would conduct “referendums” on joining the Russian Federation. The “referendums” will be held from 23 to 27 September.
