From Echo Moskvy:
Police have the right to use force to maintain order – including at protests – even if it leads to bodily harm
The decision was taken by the Supreme Court of Russia in a plenary session. The question of whether active civil resistance is acceptable against arbitrary law enforcement for the time being remains unanswered. The law allows law enforcement agents to detain offenders using extreme force. This follows from another plenary decision of the Supreme Court which clarified the interpretation of the criminal code regarding self-defence. The paper notes that force is an integral part of the work of the police and other security agencies. Only in the case of serious injury or death can an over-zealous riot police officer be punished for an arrest during a protest. At the same time, the Supreme Court has temporarily refused to allow citizens to act against law enforcement agencies when force is used against them, for example at such protests.
Earlier on, those working on the draft resolution pointed out the criminal code gives citizens the right to take active measures to defend themselves against any attacker, including officials. It was pointed out that, for example, it was permitted to defend oneself against an obviously unlawful use of force by law enforcement agencies. However, as the court correspondent Valeriy Stepalin reported, any reference to the possibility of opposition to law enforcement has been left out of the bill for the time being, as even after three months of discussion on the editorial board, that section still requires work. The decision of the Supreme Court also clarified the rights of citizens concerning defence from dangerous attacks in society. From the document it is clear that now, Russian citizens have the right to use automatic tools freely in self-defence, in particular, traps and snares.
Comments from Echo Moskvy:
ded_dementsiy:
Yeah, just the ‘guarantor’ and the ‘servant’ worried about their positions and income. So they take revenge and intimidate, so people don’t come out [protesting] any more. What can you say … the degradation of the minds at the top is leading the country into idiotism. It’s just a shame. It’s no wonder they say “Russia is a country of fools”. Our authorities confirm it brilliantly.
order2: (responding to above)
It’s interesting – these cretins are effectively passing a law on state terrorism. And not just at protests: any old militsia (now policeman) can go on the street, the metro, the train, and beat a citizen to death and not be held responsible. And within the police station they can do whatever they want and not stand trial. Now Yevsyukovs will not be tried. Do the authorities and their Supreme Court understand that this will make people into partisans?
[Note: Yevsyukov was a police major who murdered two and attempted to kill another twenty two. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2010. He showed no remorse for his actions during the trial.]
lili:
Legal banditry was de facto, but became de jure with “a light touch from the high court – the Supreme Court.”
waldy:
These idiots have forgotten that there are TWO ENDS to a stick … If the authorities are going to respond to citizens with violence, then in many situations, it’ll be too late for medical help [for them] … A tightly-wound spring has no mercy.
kestrom: (responding to above)
Our overfed liberals don’t look like a tightly-wound spring. They look like weakly stretched trouser elastic.
cherut:
Can you specify were we can buy traps to catch civil servants and snares for priests?
tankist_34:
From now on, you need to take a sensitive wolf or bear trap, and just when he swings for you, pop the trap on his head, and you’ve caught a very desirable bear…
moskwitsch:
The cops – protectors of cowardly political corpses.
proximus:
It’s sad if it’s easier for the Russian people to rebel than to vote properly in elections. Violence and rebellion are the lot of uncivilised, savaage societies. And in Russia, even today, this savagery and lack of culture is seen as courage and forward thinking. What drivel …
Why won’t the opposition lead a proper political fight? Outreach, enlightenment, real help for real people… so many opportunities to do something! But they’re mostly busy with discrediting the government, gathering compromising material, but they aren’t showing that they themselves are capable of putting forward serious candidates in local elections to win, so they go up in people’s estimation, and rise to power. This chattering is not constructive, and isn’t forward planning.
vadimp:
“At the same time, the Supreme Court has temporarily refused to allow citizens to act against law enforcement agencies when force is used against them, for example at such protests.”
So if a cop wants to smack me over the head with a baton, I can’t block it? And I have to submit humbly? Strange! They hit demonstrators, and what is the effect on the Supreme Court?
andreyvlz:
Police have the right to use force to maintain order – including at protests – even if it leads to bodily harm – this is what Echo [Moskvy] write.
The Supreme Court has allowed citizens to hurt criminals when they’re being detained – this is what newsru.com write.
The truth is somewhere in between.
What do you think? Is the use of force a necessary tool to maintain public order? Or are there lines that should not be crossed?
