Before the BRICS summit in Kazan, which will take place from October 22 to 24, Tatarstan law enforcement conducted a special operation, issuing warnings to local activists. Even relatively harmless eco-activists were banned during the summit. At least ten activists from Tatarstan received prosecutorial warnings on the eve of the BRICS summit, reports the publication «Idel.Realities»*.
Journalist of the Telegram channel Birds Nailya Mullaeva told the publication that employees of the center «E» came to her with a preventive conversation and conducted a survey about the last two years of the activist's life and her plans «for whereabouts in October». In a warning signed by the head of the public order protection department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in Kazan, Alexander Tsarevsky, the journalist is officially warned about «preventing violations of the Federal Law of June 19, 2004 No. 54-FZ «On assemblies, meetings, demonstrations, processions, and picketing».
According to the local branch of the «Yabloko» party, warnings from the prosecutor's office were distributed in three cities of the republic — Kazan, Naberezhnye Chelny, and Yelabuga.
As noted by «Idel.Realities», in some warnings, prosecutors refer to the Strategy for Countering Extremism, approved by the President of Russia in 2014, although this document is no longer in effect, and a new Strategy came into force in 2020. Referring to this outdated document, prosecutors write that «the most dangerous manifestations of extremism include the organization and conduct of unauthorized public events (including protest actions), mass riots». The texts of the warnings also mention liability for «fakes» about the Russian army and for «discrediting» the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
On October 12, Kazan activists already faced pressure in connection with the day of remembrance of fallen Tatar warriors who defended Kazan during the siege by Ivan the Terrible's army in 1552. The authorities did not approve the annual event, after which activists decided to hold a memorial prayer in a mosque, after which several people were detained. One of the activists was handed two warnings. The event itself was disrupted by law enforcement.
Before the BRICS summit in Kazan, students were evicted from dormitories, old cars were banned from appearing in the city, and various efforts were made to clear urban spaces of any activity.
* Recognized in Russia as a «foreign agent» and «undesirable» organization.
Photo: RIA Novosti