Kokarev Konstantin P. Institutionalization of political prisoners in contemporary Russia

8/10/2019 Kokarev Konstantin P. Institutionalization of political prisoners in contemporary Russia

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Institutionalization of politicalprisoners in contemporary Russia

Konstantin P. Kokarev

Department of poitical science, INION RAN

Development of Russian Law!II" Law#akin$ an% Law&reakin$ in t'e

(onte)t of *ecuritization an% Neoconservatism, + - + Octo/er +0,1niversity of 2elsinki

Konstantin P. Kokarev, INION RAN + Octo/er +0


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PP as a legal and political

issue 1 Subjects" laws, /ylaws,

le$al practices, criminalan% a%ministrative cases.

Goals" un%erstan%in$ ofcurrent process an%lookin$ into t'e future of3u%icial system an% it4sinfluence on society.

Subjects" cases of politicalprosecution5 pu/licopinion5 attitu%es ofpolitical an% civic $roups.

Goals" un%erstan%in$ ofpolitical process an% roleof political prosecution in itan% lookin$ into t'e future

of contentious politics an%evolution of politicalsystem.


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PP as a legal and political

issue 2 6'is two approac'es are

complementary. Insi%e of%iscipline t'ey are selfsufficient, /ut if we want topre%ict somet'in$ wenee% t'em /ot'.

Le$al analysis of politicalprosecution in Russia is a

very %evelope% fiel%/ecause many le$alprofessionals work wit'political cases.

Political analysis of politicalprosecution is less%evelope% /ecause almostnot'in$ stimulates t'is stu%y.

In many sc'olars w'o %ealwit' t'is topic aret'emselves involve% inpolitical activities an% also'ave personal attitu%es ont'e issue 7or it4s literaturefrom system4s of 3usticeor$anizations on8e)tremism9.


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Institutionalization of PP 1

6'ere are %ifferent viewson institutionalization"p'enomenolo$icalsociolo$y focuses onroutinisation an%le$itimation5 or$anizationalapproac'es focuses on%evelopment of institutionsan% institutional fiel%s.

(ontemporary Russias'ows si$ns of /ot'approac'es.

#any years mass pollss'ow t'at most of citizens/elieve t'at t'ere aresome PP in Russia7Leva%a-(enter:.

#ass me%ia 7commercialan% activists4: an%interviews of activists

s'ow t'at PP is animportant issue forpolitically active part ofRussian society.


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;roups 'ave /roc'ures orwe/pa$es on t'e topic ofcriminal an% a%ministrativeprosecution, some of t'emmake lectures on t'istopic.

Or$anizations t'at aremost un%er t'e t'reat

'ave create% t'ere own$roups to %efen% t'eirmem/ers.

*ome $roups 'ave%evelope% contacts wit''uman ri$'t activists.

*tate Duma, re$ionalle$islative /o%ies, an%e)ecutive or$ans 'ave%evelope% system of lawsan% /ylaws t'at $ive t'e

aut'orities opportunitiesfor overw'elmin$ controlover activists4 actions.


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List of groups defending PP Anarc'ist /lack cross 7left,

antifascist, antiaut'oritarian:5

Direct 'elp 7antifascist:5

ROD" Russian 7et'nic: ri$'ts

%efen%ers 7none)treme ri$'t:5

Russian ver%ict 7none)tremeri$'t:5

Russian pu/lic control 7none)treme ri$'t:5

Pu/lic ver%ict 7PP is not t'emain interest:5

O!DInfo 7me%ia resource:.

1nity of prisoners 7national&ols'eviks:5

#emorial 'uman ri$'ts center7'uman ri$'ts activists:5

Rosusnik 7mostly li/eral:5

Rus si%yasc'aya 7li/eral:5

Lea$ue of soli%arity wit'political prisoners 7li/eral:5

less wellknown an%re$ular functionin$.


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Institutionalization of PP 3 Repressive le$islation is

supplemente% wit' re$ularle$al a/use /y %ifferentlaw enforcement a$encies.

Political lawsuits are rarelyseen /y $eneral pu/lican% activists as fair.

*ystem for political

prosecution is ela/orate%an% it operates on re$ular/asis.

6'ere is a %e/ate a/outt'e meanin$ of term 8PP9an% it last for years. ?ecan talk a/out 8le$al9,

'uman ri$'ts an% political7left an% ri$'t: approac'esto PP.

Different $roups 'avecreate% an% up%ate

re$ularly list of PP an%oppresse% persons.


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;overnment officials 'avema%e some statements onPP topic %eclarin$ t'at incontemporary Russiat'ere in no suc'p'enomena.

?e see all aspects ofinstitutionalization"or$anizations wit'ininstitutional fiel% 7laws, /y

laws, courts an% lawenforcement a$encies,$roups of %efen%ers: t'at8see9 eac' ot'er an% actstrate$ically5 knowle%$ea/out PP /ecame acommon sense foractivists an% PP are visi/lefor $eneral pu/lic.


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PP: elaboration of common

meanings 1 Depen%in$ on professional

position an% politicali%eolo$y we can%ifferentiate some

%efinitions of PP. ?e willcall t'em 8le$al9, 'umanri$'ts, li/eral, left, an%ri$'t position.

All $roups are on common$roun% at one point" inRussia t'ere are politicallawsuits an% prosecution.

BU!Different $roups'ave %issimilar conceptionof political" w'at we s'oul%see as a political action

an% w'at we s'oul% not7e.$. /eatin$, /urnin$@:.

BU. Different $roups'ave unalike $oals" le$al

an% 'uman ri$'ts $roupsseek 3ustice political$roups are tryin$ to%efen% t'eir mem/ers.


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meanings 2 (ommon meanin$s %oes

not suppose common$roun%s or $oal" we seeacknowle%$ment of

8ot'ers9 PP, /ut nocollective action to %efen%t'em.

6'ere is no $eneral list ofPP" every $roup %evelopt'eir own focusin$ on it4smem/ers an% i%eolo$icalallies.

Durin$ mass%emonstration 7&olotnayacase: anarc'ist nevers'oute% names of

nationalist an% vise versa5many columns 'aves'oute% names of non&olotnaya PP.

6'ere are two e)ceptions"&olotnaya case an% $roup8


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meanings 3 (ooperation /etween

political enemies in caseof PP is almost a/sent/ecause reputational costs

of t'e cooperation is'i$'er t'an possi/le $ains7all $roups compete notonly wit' $roups wit' ot'eri%eolo$ies, /ut wit' similar

views:. Defen%in$ of PP isa part of contentiouspolitics.

Political parties an%3ournalists coul% /e asource of commonmeanin$s. &ut PP as a

topic is not use% /y parties7e)cept (ommunist party> /ut t'ey soun% like 8ol%story9 a/out oppression ofworkers:. PP as a t'eme

is e)clu%e% from 6! an%lives almost only in ???.


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meanings 4 (ooperation /etweenpolitical $roups iscomplicate% /ecause alack of compromise culture

an% lack of fait' insuccess.

(ooperation /etweenpolitical an% le$alcommunities is

complicate% /ecause oflack of fait' in le$almet'o%s.

6'ere is a pro/lem ofviolent actions, propertyri$'ts an% 'ate speec'.=)treme $roups from t'e

left an% from t'e ri$'tre$ularly 'ave cases ofpolitical prosecution fort'ese reasons. Due to factt'at 'uman ri$'ts

%efen%ers prefer not to%eal wit' t'is cases ri$'t$roups create% t'eir own'uman ri$'ts %efen%ers.


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PP and acti"ists# attitudes to

s$stem of %ustice 1 At t'e en% of t'e first%eca%e 7w'en first casesof mass politicalprosecution 'appene%:

activist /e$an some kin%of le$al enli$'tenment. &utafter K'imki case, PussyRiot an% &olotnaya case/elieve in le$al met'o%s%ecrease%. Politicalmet'o%s 7internationalcompai$ns, meetin$s:startto look more effective.

Le$al system is seen as acorrupt an% 'i$'lyineffective. #ost activiststol% a/out a %evolution of

courts, law enforcementa$encies an% politicalpolice.

(reation of center forcom/atin$ e)tremism isseen as on of t'e mainsteps to creation anoppression mec'anism.


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s$stem of %ustice 2 Almost all activist %oes notsee any internal oppressivelo$ic in le$al institutionsitself. 6'ey all talke% a/outor%ers from e)ecutive

officials.

6'at is w'y political $roups%o not 'el% campai$ns forreform of le$al institutions7wit' week e)clusion of

campai$n a$ainst8mentovskoi /espre%el9 >*okolniki case:.

Political $roups see onesolution for all 3u%icialpro/lems>replacement ofofficials an% 8para%i$m s'ift9

78one solution>revolution9as it is sai% at anarc'istmeetin$s:.

No one representative ofpolitical $roup 7I talke% to:

'ave any plans for reform.1sually t'ey 'ave tol% t'at itis unnecessary. 8?e will%eci%e after@9


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s$stem of %ustice 3 Political activist feelin$

overw'elme% /y system of3ustice %o not want to%evelop a cooperative

strate$y of PP %efense. *ome reasons are" a: lack of

financial, time an% 'umanresources5 /: lack of supportfrom popular mass me%ia

7no 6!:5 c: t'reat of /eenprosecute% t'emselves.

All activists $roups face t'elack of new i%eas an%tec'niues of promotion/ecause system of 3ustice

/ecomes more an% moreoppressive too uick.

6'at is w'y activists mostlyrely on informal structurest'at is 'ar% to lock in le$alfiel%.

6'is structures are easy torepro%uce /ut t'ey areunsustaina/le.


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6'ank youB

=mail" konstantin.kokarevC$mail.com6witter" konstkokarev

+ Octo/er +0Konstantin P. Kokarev, INION RAN
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

Kokarev Konstantin P. Institutionalization of political prisoners in contemporary Russia

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