2019 Moscow protests
Starting from July 2019 numerous approved and unapproved rallies in Moscow (also known as part of the political crisis[3][4]) began, caused by the situation with the 2019 Moscow City Duma elections. Widespread public protests were triggered by numerous authorities' violations, claimed by the independent opposition candidates, during the registration procedure.[5][6] Rallies on Sakharov Avenue on 20 July and 10 August 2019 became the largest political rallies in Russia since the 2011–2013 protests. The July 27 rally established a record on number of detainees: 1373 people were detained.[7] The subsequent appeals of the MCEC's decisions to the CEC by the independent candidates didn't lead to any results.
2019 Moscow Protests
14 July 2019 – 29 September 2019
The rejection to allow the independent candidates to participate in the 2019 Moscow City Duma election.
The United Russia suffered losses in 2019 Moscow City Duma election, Yabloko and CPRF increased their factions
1 candidate allowed to participate in the 2019 Moscow City Duma election (Sergey Mitrokhin) and won in his constituency
0
3 fighters of the National Guard of Russia were injured (claimed by the government only). Dozens of protestors suffered.
around 3000 people were arrested
The protests were accompanied by massive administrative arrests of unregistered independent candidates[8] and two criminal cases: the obstructing the work of election commissions case and the riots case (also known as the "Moscow case").[9] The Second Service of FSB participated in the investigation of the events. It was reported that the intelligence agency is trying to find opposition ties with foreign structures and is trying to prove financing of protests from abroad.[10]
A number of media and politicians as well as the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights found no evidence of mass riots at rallies.[11]
FBK investigations[edit]
During the 2019 Moscow City Duma elections campaign the FBK published a lot of anti-corruption investigations against Moscow City Duma deputies from the United Russia faction, the CEC and the MCEC members and Moscow City officials. Even authorities later admitted that FBK investigations had a significant impact on protest activity and election results.[228]
On July 1, the FBK published an investigation of Andrey Metelsky's, the leader of the United Russia faction in the Moscow City Duma, property. He has been a deputy in the Moscow City Duma since 2001. His son and 75 years old mother owns hotels Maximilian (bought for 5.36 mln €), Tirolerhof (3.6 mln €), Mozart (7 mln €), Strudlhof (24 mln €) in Austria, multi-apartment complex "Lefort", built near the MosMetro station under construction Lefortovo, auto center network "Obukhov", 2 "Tanuki" restaurants, hotel "Foresta" and 4 apartments with a total area of 1700 m2 in Moscow, 3 houses in Moscow Oblast and 1 house in Kaliningrad Oblast. The total cost of his real estate in Moscow only is about 5.7 billion rubles (~ US$90 mln).[229][230]
On July 18, the FBK published an investigations of the head of the MCEC Valentin Gorbunov's property. His family owns two apartments with a total area of 200 m2 worth US$420 000 in Ika, Croatia.[231][232]
On July 22, the FBK revealed that pro-government journalist Vladimir Solovyov has an Italian permanent residency.[45][46][47]
On August 1, the FBK published an investigation of the vice-mayor Natalya Sergunina's property. Sergunina is responsible for the election process in Moscow. The FBK estimates Sergunina's (along with close relatives) undeclared real estate value at 6.5 billion rub (~ US$100 mln).[151][152]
On August 12, the FBK published an investigation of the member of the CEC Boris Ebzeev's property. His grandson at the age of 4 bought an apartment worth 500 mln rub (~ US$18.5 mln), and at the age of 7 a house in Moscow Oblast.[233][234]
On August 12, it was revealed that the MCEC member Dmitry Reut bought an apartment worth 22 mln rub (~US$0.8 mln) from the city of Moscow on unknown conditions. The cost of the apartment exceeds his income for previous years by 2 times.[235]
On August 15, the FBK published an investigation of Alexei Shaposhnikov's, the chairman of the Moscow City Duma, property. He owns an apartment in the center of Moscow with a total area of 270 m2 worth 95 mln rub (~US$1.5 mln).[236][237]
On August 20, the FBK published an investigation of Ilya Platonov's, the son of the former chairman of the Moscow City Duma Vladimir Platonov, property. He owns an apartment in the center of Moscow, on the "golden mile", with a total area of 372 m2 worth 600 mln rub (~US$9.4 mln) and a house in Moscow Oblast with total area of 4000 m2 worth 4000 mln rub (~US$62.5 mln).[238][239] The Moscow "Golden mile" is an extremely expensive part of Moscow between Ostozhenka street and Prechistenskaya embarkment, where the price of an apartment start from US$25 000 per m2.[240]
On August 22, the FBK published an investigation of Vladimir Regnatsky's, the head of Security and Anti-Corruption Department of Moscow City, property. Regnatsky is one of those officials who "approves" rallies and is responsible for their dispersing. His mother owns an apartment in the center of Moscow, on the "golden mile", with total area of 146 m2 worth 200 mln rub (~US$3.1 mln).[241][242]
On August 26, the FBK published an investigation of the vice-mayor Alexander Gorbenko's property. Along with his son and wife he owns a land plot with total area of 20 000 m2 in Moscow Oblast, where 9 houses built, worth 500 mln rub (~US$7.8 mln).[243][244]
On August 27, the FBK published an investigation of Alexander Gorbenko's children's property. His son owns an apartment in the center of Moscow with total area of 226 m2 worth 300 mln rub (~US$4.7 mln), and his daughter owns an apartment in the center of Moscow with total area of 174 m2 worth 240 mln rub (~US$3.8 mln).[245][246]
On August 29, the FBK published second investigation of Andrey Metelsky's property. He owns and manages a motorcycle shop "Alpine", while the Russian legislation prohibits deputies from doing business.[247][248]
On August 30, the FBK published an investigation of the vice-chairman of the CEC Nikolay Bulaev's property. Along with his daughter he owns 3 apartments in Moscow with total area of 392 m2 worth 220 mln rub (~US$3.4 mln).[249][250]
On September 2, the FBK published an investigation of the deputy of the Moscow City Duma Lyudmila Stebenkova's property. She owns an apartment in the center of Moscow with total area of 197 m2 worth 80 mln rub (~US$1.25 mln) and owned 1 more apartment with total area of 178 m2 which she sold in 2005.[251][252]
On September 3, the FBK published an investigation of the deputy of the Moscow City Duma Stepan Orlov's property. He received from the City of Moscow two apartments in the center of Moscow with total area of 246 m2 in exchange of his old apartment with total area of 58 m2.[253][254]
On September 4, the FBK published an investigation of the deputy of the Moscow City Duma Kirill Shchitov's property. He owns an apartment in center of Moscow, on the "golden mile", with total area of 180 m2 and one more with total area of 122 m2, and also two luxury cars.[255][252]
On September 5, the FBK published an investigation of the vice-mayor Pyotr Biryukov's property. Along with his family he owns 17 apartments in the center of Moscow, 22 luxury cars and a farm estate in Moscow Oblast total worth of 5.5 bln rub (~US$86 mln).[256][257]
On September 6, the FBK published second investigation of the vice-mayor Natalya Sergunina's property. Her daughter's husband, Aaron-Elizer Aronov, owns the "Aviapark" mall worth of 4.3 bln rub (~US$67.2 mln). Besides, the building company, belonging to Aronov, did not fulfill its social obligations to build a school and museum nearby.[258][259]
Government response to investigations
Sergunina, Birukov and other Moscow City officials didn't respond to FBK Investigations.
Instead, soon after the first investion on Sergunina, on August 3, the ICR opened a criminal case against the FBK on laundering 1 billion rub (~US$15.5 mln).[153] Later the amount was reduced to 75 mln rub (~US$1.15 mln).[260]
Soon after the investigation on Biryukov, on September 5 searches were conducted at the FBK office and at the "Navalny LIVE" studio.[261]
Soon after the 2019 Moscow City Duma election, on September 12 the ICR carried out mass raids on the FBK regional offices in 40 Russian cities.[262][263]
In September various state-owned companies filed lawsuits against FBK for "organizing riots", and the courts partially satisfied them in the amount of 5 mln rub (~US$78 000).[264]
On October 8, the police filed lawsuit against FBK for "costs of maintaining order during rallies" in the amount of 18 mln rub (~US280 000).[265]
On October 9, the FBK has been declared a "foreign agent" by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.[260][266]
On October 15, the ICR again carried out mass raids on the FBK regional offices in 30 Russian cities.[267][268]