In Simferopol’, Andriy Bielozierov, a former teacher of Bilohirsk Technical High School, arrested earlier because of a song about Bayraktar, was drawn up a report for using Nazi symbols (Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). He was sentenced to 14 days of administrative arrest. The reason for this was a publication of CHERVONA KALYNA (Red Viburnum) song at Mr.Bielozirov’s Vkontakte page.
As Mr.Bielozierov told KHOLOD media outlet, on October 28, at 06:10am security agency men came to the hostel where he stayed.
“They put me face down on the floor, practically without clothes, in only underpants, I’m sorry, they handcuffed me and started kicking me in the kidneys, belly, chest. Wherever they got, they hit there,” this is howMr.Bielozierov described his detention. He said that the security men stepped on his head with their feet and damaged his earlobes. Also, according to Mr.Bielozierov, one of them hit him in the face.
The security men confiscated Mr.Bielozierov’s laptop, phone and documents, including a Ukrainian passport, diplomas, employment and health records.
When detained, Mr.Bielozierov was taken to the Center for Combating Extremism in Simferopol’, where a report was drawn up on him “On using the Nazi symbols” (Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) due to the CHERVONA KALYNA Ukrainian song published on Mr.Bielozierov’s Vkontakte page. He was also drawn up a report for resistance during detention (Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). Mr.Bielozierov was given a 14-days’ arrest, the media outlet writes.
In September, Mr.Bielozierov was arrested for 13 days and fired from the technical high school. The reason was a video in which a teacher and several students were watching a video with a Ukrainian song about Bayraktar playing in the background.
The seized documents have not yet been returned to Mr.Bielozierov, despite the fact that he wrote complaints to the “Investigative Committee” of Simferopol’, and now he cannot get a job without them. “I will not be hired for a new job, I cannot confirm that I have worked in the field of education for 23 years,” the former teacher explained.
As the CHRG reported, pressure for dissent has intensified in Crimea: Crimeans who are expressing disagreement with the war are being persecuted under several articles of the Criminal Code.
The most common reason for persecution has become a NO WAR inscription published on a social network or a single-person protest with the same inscription on the poster. In addition, the case may be opened for ‘I AM FOR PEACE’ inscription. According to the “logic” of the occupying power, since the Russian Federation is not officially at war with Ukraine, but is “conducting a special operation”, calls for peace are a discredit on the Russian Armed Forces. Talking about the Russian-Ukrainian war with acquaintances, colleagues or relatives is also often a reason for persecution. Posts or comments on social networks may also cause persecution.
