On May 6, journalist Veronika Orlova was heading to the Supreme Court at 10 am to cover the appeal of the verdicts of the 'Baimak case' defendants. According to her, police officers approached her on the street asking: 'How much have you drunk?' That is, during the detention, there was no mention of an accusation of disobedience to the police. Orlova managed to contact the editorial office, report the detention, and that she was being taken to the 'Kitay-gorod' police department. After that, contact with the journalist was lost.
According to the protocol text, near the 'Kitay-gorod' police department building, Orlova 'began to physically resist, refused to go, and broke free', and also 'categorically refused' the police's demands to stop illegal actions. The journalist denies any resistance to the law enforcement officers.
Defense attorney Anton Aptekary filed a motion to bring the police officers who carried out the detention to court and to attach the footage from their body cameras to the case materials. The defense attorney also noted that Orlova has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, which should preclude administrative arrest.
Judge Anna Malakhova denied all motions and imposed an administrative arrest for 13 days.
Currently, two journalists from SOTAvision have already received real sentences for participating in an 'extremist community'. Antonina Favorskaya** and Artem Kriger** were sentenced to 5.5 years in a penal colony on charges of collaborating with the FBK***. At the same time, Favorskaya was also initially arrested on an administrative charge before being charged in a criminal case.
* Recognized as a 'foreign agent' in Russia.
** Included in the list of 'extremists and terrorists'.
*** Recognized as an 'extremist organization' in Russia.
Photo: SOTAvision