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‘Either you go to jail or to the frontlines’: 12 men held at Moscow draft office for over 24 hours

At least 12 men have been forced to stay at a draft office in Moscow for over 24 hours. They were previously escorted there by police from Moscow hostels, Holod and Verstka news outlets report, citing Marsel Talipov, one of the men held there, and activists of the Akbuzat movement.

A draft office in Moscow’s Danilovsky district. Photo: social media

A draft office in Moscow’s Danilovsky district. Photo: social media

“They’ve been there for nearly 24 hours,” a human rights activist said yesterday evening. “They aren’t giving them their passports back. There are policemen guarding the exit from the draft office. One of the guys came out to get cigarettes and wanted to escape, but he was caught by police and brought back,” she added.

This information was confirmed by Talipov. The man said that his brother Idel Talipov, their friend Artur Batalov, and at least nine more people, were held at the draft office with him. Several other men brought there from Moscow hostels have been allowed to leave, he noted.

“It’s not quite clear what is the criteria for letting people go and for holding them. We suppose the police thought they are migrants, as they do not have Slavic names and surnames, and this is why they did not allow them to leave,” Akbuzat reports.

The Talipov brothers and Batalov are from Russia’s Bashkortostan. They came to Moscow before Putin’s mobilisation order to find a job. Their employer placed them at a hostel, which was later visited by policemen who took the men to the draft office.

Presumably, Marsel Talipov. Photo: social media

Presumably, Marsel Talipov. Photo: social media

In the time the men have spent at a draft office, they were given several sandwiches and a bottle of water. They were forced to undergo a medical examination and were issued new military ID cards as they did not have their military IDs on them. Some were even handed military uniforms, the news outlet’s sources reported.

“Now, they’re threatening them with criminal charges. They’re saying: ‘Either you go to jail or to prison.’ Artur has already signed all the papers. The Talipov brothers haven’t yet. They contacted the prosecutor’s office. They wanted to write a statement, but they’re not even given pen or paper. They say: ‘We’re going to sign you up and send you there, and then you can complain all you want,’” the activist said.

Earlier this week, the media reported that the police had come to two Travel Inn hostels in Moscow to look for men eligible for mobilisation. Moscow State Duma member Yevgeny Stupin has said on his Telegram channel that hotel owners in Moscow are forced to provide information on their male guests aged 18 to 55.

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