The Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case on the dissemination of calls on minors to participate in unsanctioned rallies on January 23 on social networks.

This decision was made based on the results of an audit of numerous appeals from various associations of parents of Russian schoolchildren posted in the media, the department specified. 

The UK recalled that restrictive measures are in place in Moscow and other Russian regions to stop the spread of coronavirus infection, and mass events in a pandemic create a real threat of illness for those gathered, and therefore the authorities refused to hold rallies. 

“Despite this, Navalny's supporters post publications on the Internet, social networks TikTok, VKontakte, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, on the YouTube service, in which they urge minors to participate in unauthorized rallies in Moscow and other cities of Russia on January 23 ", - noticed in the Investigative Committee.

On the fact of these violations, a case was initiated under nn.

"A, c" part 2 of Art.

151.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on the involvement of minors in the commission of unlawful acts, knowingly posing a danger to their lives, through information and telecommunication networks.

Recall that on January 17, blogger Alexei Navalny flew to Russia from Germany, where he was receiving treatment, and was detained at Sheremetyevo airport.

The FSIN said that the reason for the detention was Navalny's repeated violations of the probationary period assigned to him in the case of embezzlement of funds from the Yves Rocher company: until December 29, 2020, he had to appear twice a month for registration with the FSIN authorities.

In this regard, on January 18, the Khimki city court imprisoned Navalny for 30 days.

After that, Navalny himself and his supporters began to spread statements calling for illegal rallies in support of him, using for this, among other things, social networks popular among teenagers.

As a result, Roskomnadzor announced that it would fine Internet sites that allow the involvement of minors in illegal activities.

Appeals to children were revealed in TikTok, VKontakte, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, RIA Novosti was clarified in the press service of the department.

The Prosecutor General's Office issued repeated warnings to the heads of Internet companies.

The official representative of the supervisory agency, Andrei Ivanov, warned citizens that calls for participation in illegal actions are an administrative offense and may result in punishment, and provocations and attempts at violent actions are qualified under the article of the Criminal Code on mass riots. 

The Kremlin responded to calls to participate in unsanctioned rallies, recalling the need to comply with the law, as well as responsibility for such activities.

“There can be only one position: in favor of the unconditional need to comply with the law and the inadmissibility of organizing illegal actions and, moreover, provoking the participation of young people and children in these actions,” said the presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov.

Speaking about the participation in certain actions of students of Russian universities, Peskov emphasized that this is “their own business,” but drew attention to the fact that the leadership of universities has the right, at its discretion, to react to cases of students participating in illegal actions. 

In turn, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin called illegal actions unacceptable.

“And even more unacceptable and cynical are the attempts of mass involvement of minors in this action.

I very much ask the parents to pay attention to this and not put their children at risk to please the provocateurs, ”the mayor urged.

  • Sergei Sobyanin

He also reiterated that an improvement in the situation with COVID-19 has been noted in the capital, but the risks remain extremely serious, and therefore it is necessary "to comply with the requirements of sanitary doctors and the minimum but necessary restrictions that have been introduced in the city."

Rospotrebnadzor expressed concern about the deterioration of the epidemiological situation in the event of rallies.

The head of the department's department for the capital, Elena Andreeva, noted that due to mass events in 10-12 days in the city, a sharp rise in the incidence may again be recorded, which will lead to a repeated tightening of restrictive measures.

  • Elena Andreeva

At the same time, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, urged parents to do everything possible so that "children do not become a bargaining chip in this hellish production."

“When minors are summoned to rallies, don't expect anything good.

Because children are drawn into political battles when all other options do not work, which means that the ideologues of this process will be ready to do anything to achieve their goals, ”she wrote on her Facebook page.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that a pre-investigation check was carried out in connection with the organization of provocations by the chiefs of headquarters of Alexei Navalny.

The department said that in the past few days, a number of videos were posted on the TikTok video service, in which young people in the uniform of police officers declared their support for unauthorized public events.

These videos are staged, some participants in the recordings have already apologized, the Interior Ministry said.

The press service of the ministry also warned about responsibility for participation in unauthorized actions, and called on Russians not to succumb to provocations.

“In connection with the dissemination in the media, the Internet and social networks of calls to participate in unauthorized actions on January 23, 2021, we officially warn that for such calls and participation in such events liability is provided in accordance with the law,” the department recalled.