In the case of Alexei Navalny, while Mr Navalny was recovering in Germany (September 2020-January 2021) after having been poisoned with a toxic nerve agent of the Novichok group, on 28 December 2020 FSIN demanded that he immediately present himself to a probation officer or face a prison sentence for violating a suspended sentence for fraud conviction. That fraud conviction had been found arbitrary and unfair by the European Court of Human Rights in 2018. On 17 January 2021, acting on the orders of Alexander Kalashnikov, FSIN officers detained Alexei Navalny upon his arrival at Moscow airport. Alexei Navalny’s arrest is based on a decision by the Khimki city court, which in turn was issued at the request of FSIN. In late December 2020, FSIN had already requested that a court replace Alexei Nalvany’s suspended sentence with a prison term. On 17 February 2021, the European Court of Human Rights ordered the Government of Russia to release Alexei Navalny.

Alexander Kalashnikov has been the director of the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) since 8 October 2019. In that position, he oversees all activities of the FSIN. In his capacity as director of the FSIN, he is responsible for serious human rights violations in Russia, including arbitrary arrests and detentions.

Alexander Bastrykin is responsible for the Committee’s widespread and systematic repressive campaigns against the Russian opposition, targeting and investigating their members. On 29 December 2020, the Committee launched an investigation into the opposition leader Alexei Navalny, charging him with large-scale fraud. Alexei Navalny and others published articles on Alexander Bastrykin’s ownership of Czech real estate firm LAW Bohemia in the 2000s.

Alexander Bastrykin has served as chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (the ‘Committee’) since January 2011 (and as acting chairman from October to December 2010). In that position, he oversees all activities of the Committee. Officially, the Committee is presided over by the Russian President. In Alexander Bastrykin’s capacity as chairman of the Committee, he is responsible for serious human rights violations in Russia, including arbitrary arrests and detentions.

The Prosecutor General’s Office supported the request by the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) to convert the suspended sentence imposed on Alexei Navalny in a case of alleged fraud to a prison sentence. Despite the fact that his conviction in that case had been found arbitrary and unfair by the European Court of Human Rights in 2018, Alexei Navalny was arrested upon his arrival at Moscow airport on 17 January 2021.

Ahead of the 23 January 2021 protests, the Prosecutor General’s Office warned that participants would be held responsible. Moreover, the Prosecutor General’s Office demanded that the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Communications (Roskomnadzor) restrict access to opposition websites and social network accounts that contained information on planned gatherings of Alexei Navalny’s supporters. On 29 January 2021, the Prosecutor General’s Office once again demanded that Roskomnadzor restrict access to opposition websites and social network accounts, this time ahead of the pro-Navalny protests on 30 and 31 January 2021. Warnings were sent to internet companies (Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Google, Mail.ru Group). The Prosecutor General’s Office also announced that those taking part in the demonstrations would be prosecuted.

Igor Krasnov has been Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation since 22 January 2020, and is the former Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation. In his position as Prosecutor General, he supervises the Prosecutor’s Offices in the Russian Federation, the Special Prosecutor’s Offices and the Military Prosecutor’s Office. In his capacity as Prosecutor General, he is responsible for serious human rights violations, including the arbitrary detentions of protesters, and for widespread and systematic repression of freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and freedom of opinion and expression.

4.

Viktor Vasilievich (Vasilyevich) ZOLOTOV

Виктор Васильевич ЗОЛОТОВ

Position(s): Director of the Federal Service of National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation (Rosgvardia) DOB: 27.1.1954 POB: Sasovo, Russian SFSR (now Russian Federation) Nationality: Russian Gender: male

Viktor Zolotov has been the Director of the Federal Service of National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation (Rosgvardia) since 5 April 2016 and therefore Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation, as well as Commander of OMON – the Special Purpose Mobile Unit integrated in Rosgvardia. In that position, he oversees all activities of Rosgvardia and OMON troops. In his capacity as Director of Rosgvardia, he is responsible for serious human rights violations in Russia, including arbitrary arrests and detentions and systematic and widespread violations of freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, in particular by violently repressing protests and demonstrations. Rosgvardia was employed to quell the 23 January 2021 pro-Navalny demonstrations and many OMON and National Guard officers were reported to have used brutality and violence against protesters. Dozens of journalists were targeted with aggression by the security forces, including Meduza’s correspondent Kristina Safronova, who was hit by an OMON officer, and Novaya Gazeta’s journalist Yelizaveta Kirpanova, who was hit on the head with a truncheon leaving her bleeding. Security forces arbitrarily detained more than 300 minors.