Abstract
Although the Russian constitution enshrines freedom of expression, in practice, authorities clamp down on anybody who treasures this fundamental right. State officials, judges, deputies, prosecutors and police officers have more rights than ordinary citizens. Their job is to serve the ruling regime and control society, not defend the constitution or protect human rights.
Many people don’t understand the value of freedom of expression and don’t regard it as a fundamental right. Self-censorship and fear are deeply ingrained, so very few people challenge government plans to increase penalties against those who dare to speak out.
My personal story is quite unique, even for this part of Russia, which is plagued by corruption and ruled by the state mafia. A criminal case was launched against me after I published an article on the Karelia Youth Human Rights Group website on 31 December 2011. The article, entitled ‘Karelia is tired of priests’, criticised the religious leaders at a local eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Church. They are, I wrote, ‘ridiculous, amateur actors peddling ideology and lies’ who ‘flood our television screens’. With the United Russia Party, the church – which operates like a branch of the ruling party – makes fools out of people, spinning fairy tales about how wonderful life is in our country, while at the same time making huge amounts of money. Its revival, I wrote, is directly related to corruption, the powerful oligarchy and the secret services, which are not held accountable for their actions. The article also reported that some people had begun to make their opinions known and that graffiti had started to appear on buildings associated with what I called ‘Orthodox spawn’.
As a result, I faced charges that could have cost me up to two years in prison. Police officers raided my flat in the middle of the night and confiscated my computer, a hard drive and documents – all under the pretext of protecting Orthodox believers from offence. I was informed that if I pled guilty, the case against me would be closed. In addition, I was instructed to launch a website that praised the Orthodox Church and to make a donation of 300,000 roubles (US$9,600) towards the construction of a new place of worship.
Afterwards, Petrozavodsk Court instructed me to have a compulsory psychiatric examination in order to restrict my freedom and encourage me to admit my guilt. It was the first case of punitive psychiatry in Karelia in post-Soviet Russia.
In my case, the charges associated with criticising a religious organisation have been deliberately conflated with those of engaging in extremist activities. As there is no independent judiciary in Karelia, it is likely that I will be found guilty. But this prosecution does nothing but create an illusion of fighting crime. Russian prosecutors prefer these straightforward cases of thought crime because they receive awards and bonuses for fighting extremism. There are countless reports about the brave fights members of the Federal Investigation Bureau (FSB), police, prosecutors, courts and local authorities have launched against extremism. It does not matter that these reports and cases are based on the testimonies of people who were intimidated. Pens may blot, but they cannot blush – and the state budget gets its benefits from fines imposed on the innocent.
These charges were also an attempt to punish me for my refusal to compromise and my reports on the crimes of the authorities. These were published on my blog, the Karelia Youth Human Rights Group website, and on YouTube. These people were ready to do whatever it took to punish me, so I had to flee Russia. Soon after, there were calls for my arrest. After I asked Estonia for political asylum, investigators launched an appeal for law enforcers in Karelia to add my name to an international ‘wanted’ list. My case is still open in Russia, but my lawyers have no information about the investigation.
It is clear that my case is about much more than censorship and the dignity of religious groups. It is about the battle between Russian authorities and dissenters, civic activists and those who work to protect the right to protest and to freedom of expression.