Kremlin Panicked Over Russians' Reaction To Internet Shutdowns

Employees of the "Center E" came to those who had written complaints to Putin.

Police and employees of the Center "E" began visiting members and supporters of the Moscow "Rassvet", who participated in filing complaints about the blocking of mobile Internet and messengers to the presidential administration (AP). The activists reported this in their telegram channel. The action itself took place on April 4 - that day several dozen people came to the presidential reception room in Moscow to submit appeals; politicians Yulia Galyamina and Boris Nadezhdin also took part in the event.

According to the activists, visits by law enforcers began on April 23 and at first "seemed to be a point-by-point reaction of some particularly zealous law enforcers," but since Friday, more and more Rassvet supporters have begun to report such cases. For example, movement member Daniil Nesmelov said that on Thursday evening he was visited by an "eshnik" and a district police officer. They issued a warning under articles about allegedly violating the order of the rally, mass riots, demonstration of extremist symbols, incitement to hatred and distribution of extremist materials, and also took an explanatory note on his actions on April 4.

The post also contains a fragment of a dialog between another activist Elena Skriptunova and a law enforcer. The officer said he was instructed to interview her, listen to her arguments and "help her in some way." When asked who gave such an order, he replied: "Our main department of the Interior Ministry in Moscow, which is subordinate, among other things, to the government of the Russian Federation."

"I am sincerely amazed and even outraged by such a reaction of the authorities to the standard way of citizens to convey their dissatisfaction to the leadership of the country. In a democratic state based on the rule of law, the use of legal channels of communication between citizens and the authorities should not be equated with illegal actions," Rassvet said.

Despite this, the activists urged supporters to continue filing complaints to the president. Rassvet also claims that some protesters have already received answers to their appeals.

In March and April, Russians also tried to organize coordinated rallies against Internet blockades in various cities. Some activists were detained and fined. Authorities refused to approve the rallies in at least 17 regions where applications were submitted.

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