The New Separatists

Even as Russia encourages “federalization” in Ukraine (which could enable the rebellious eastern Ukrainian regions to tip into the Russian political orbit), it is jailing persons who dare call for decentralization at home, even if they are only using humor to make a point.

This summer, the BBC interviewed Novosibirsk activist Artyom Loskutov, a performance artist known for staging bizarre absurdist rallies called “monstrations.” In the interview, Loskutov mentioned an upcoming demonstration, “The March for the Federalization of Siberia” (organized by someone else), the main slogan for which was “Stop feeding Moscow,” an ironic spin on the “Stop feeding the Caucasus” chant often used by Russian nationalists. The purpose of the pro-federalization march was supposedly to address the issue that oil- and gas-rich Siberia gets less back in government development resources than it contributes in revenues.

In response, Roskomnadzor, the state’s internet watchdog, warned that it might block the BBC’s website if the interview with Loskutov was not removed. The BBC scoffed, refusing to drop the piece. Meanwhile, activists promoting the Siberian march had their social networking pages blocked; several organizers were detained and threatened in phone calls; and one of the activists reportedly discovered the severed head of a sheep on his doorstep

Weeks later, 25-year-old activist Darya Polyudova was arrested in southern city of Krasnodar. Her crime? Using social media to organize a “March for the Federalization of Kuban” (a historically-freighted name for the Krasnodar region). The intent of the march was to promote “the right of the region to have its own authorities, more independent from the central government.”

Polyudova, who had previously picketed in Krasnodar in support of Ukraine, was arrested and put in pre-trial detention for “inciting extremism via the internet” and “using the internet to call for actions directed against Russia’s territorial integrity.” Each charge has a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Authorities also arrested another organizer of the Krasnodar action, Sergei Titorenko, and issued federal arrest warrants for two other organizers, Pyotr Lyubchenkov and Vyacheslav Martynov, who were reportedly in Ukraine trying to join a volunteer battalion to battle pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s East. On September 26, all three men were added to Russia’s official “List of Terrorists and Extremists.”

Neither the Siberian nor Krasnodar marches took place.

In response to these actions, the human rights organization Sova issued a statement saying that the organizers were merely initiating public discussion, not blowing up buildings. “We do not think it is legal to ban public discussion concerning the rights of territories, their self-determination, or even calls for separatism,” the NGO said. “Prohibitive measures can only be applied when there are calls for violence for the sake of separatist goals.”

Clearly, federalization in Ukraine is very different from federalization in Russia.

“We note that the worsening situation demands additional measures for activating the work of security services in order to expose provocateurs, extremists who conduct propaganda and incite international conflicts, subversive and terrorist activity, protest rallies, and group violations of public order.”

– From the website of the Krasnodar prosecutor’s office