Alerts | Arrest/detention under other laws

Citizen journalist detained in occupied Crimea while covering trial

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Crimean citizen journalist, blogger and activist Rolan Osmanov was detained by members of the security forces while close to a Russian supreme court building. At the time he had been covering a trial. After his arrest, Osmanov was taken to the Simferopol-based “Center for Combating Extremism”. It was subsequently revealed that Osmanov was being charged for Discrediting the Russian armed forces under Article 20.3.3 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offenses as well as article 19.3 of the Russian administrative code for disobeying a law enforcement agent. He was sentenced to three days of administrative arrest. It was alleged that he resisted during the detention by “pushing the police away, filming them, and obstructing their work.” Recounting the arrest, Osmanov said: “At that time, two more members of the security forces, wearing masks and uniforms, walked behind me, pounced on me, knocked me to the floor, handcuffed me and pushed me into a minibus that was standing nearby.” It was reported that Russian security forces offered Osmanov the option to record a video address in support of the Russian army in return for the charges being dropped. He refused to record the video.

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