65,000 Russians Convicted of Attacking Officials and Police between 2009 and 2017, Agora Reports

Paul Goble

            Staunton, February 28 – Between 2009 and 2017, Russian courts convicted 65,046 people of physically attacking police and other representatives of the state, the Agora Human Rights Group says in a new report, one more way the authorities use to keep the people in line but also an indication that Russian deference to the powers that be may be fraying.

            In a 27-page report (docs.rferl.org/ru-RU/2019/02/28/b22215ce-753a-47cf-bc4d-ff816285da81.pdf), the group examined all cases involving the use of force against representatives of the powers that be and also the excessive use of force by the police against the population (kasparov.ru/material.php?id=5C77D2380E40A).

            The report concluded that it was far easier for the police to bring charges against the population and falsify them when the authorities wanted to than for the population to bring analogous charges against the police. Charges involving attacks on the police can be brought against anyone the regime wants, while the reverse is not the case, the study says.