Protests against internet blockings: detentions and other forms of pressure: Human rights news, court updates & analysis | 23 related articles

29.03.2026

17:30

In Moscow, eight people were detained on Bolotnaya Square, the detainees themselves told OVD-Info.

Among them are Yekaterina Wagner and her nephew Artur Wagner. One man was detained with a placard reading “No to war.” Two of the detainees are underage.

All of them were taken to the Meshchansky police station. An OVD-Info lawyer, Natalia Tikhonova, travelled to the station to assist them.

18:24 Yekaterina Wagner said that she is being charged with disobeying the police (Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). She is being held overnight at the police station.

OVD-Info defence lawyer Natalia Tikhonova is not being allowed in to see the detainees at the police station.

20:46 Artur Wagner has been released from the Meshchansky police station, reports SOTAvision. He said that the police officers in the station hit him on the back of the head.

He was also pressured to give evidence against his aunt Yekaterina Wagner, with whom he had been detained on Bolotnaya Square—the officers forced him to say that she made him attend the rally. Ultimately, he gave this statement.

RusNews writes that in the station, Wagner was threatened with a beating that the police said they would record on video. According to the young man, his bank card was stolen in the police station.

Wagner has a category two disability.

The OVD-Info lawyer Natalia Tikhonova has still not been allowed to see the detainees at this station.

23:16 A second detainee is being held overnight at the Meshchansky police station, OVD-Info lawyer Natalia Tikhonova reported. She has now been allowed access to the remaining detainees in the station.

It is not known what exactly the man is being charged with.

Four people were released without any charges being filed. The parents of the two underage detainees arrived at the station.

Activists who tried to pass on essential items to Yekaterina Wagner and the second detainee told SOTAvision that police staff were rude. They refused to pass hygiene items, including toothbrushes, to the detainees.

17:06

Moscow

Security forces are pushing back people gathered on Bolotnaya Square and demanding that they disperse. This was reported by the outlet Ostorozhno, novosti (“Caution, News”).

Police told the protesters that “an event is taking place in the Kremlin” and “if they order us to detain you, we will detain you.” In addition, a woman was detained after she shouted: “Dear OMON and police, we need your protection.” Security officers are speaking with her by the police van.

16:35

Saint Petersburg

In St Petersburg, a man who was with a group of young people was detained on Lenin Square. This was reported by “Bumaga.”

Plainclothes officers escorted him to a police van. Another member of the group had unfurled a Russian flag beforehand.

Earlier, a small group of people had gathered on the square, which is located by Finland Station. Their documents had already been checked. “Bumaga” notes that reinforcements arrived for the security forces.

17:02 The man was released. He said the security forces threatened him with an administrative offence report and being sent to the military enlistment office, writes “Bumaga.”

He also told the others gathered that the security forces threatened to start detaining people if they did not disperse. After this, people who had come to the protest against blockings moved away from Lenin Square.

Police officers approached those who remained on the square.

15:03

Moscow

On Bolotnaya Square in Moscow, OMON riot police are on duty and the police are carrying out random ID checks. This was reported by ‘Ostorozhno, novosti’ (‘Caution, News’).

According to the outlet, after checking documents, the police detained a young man who was carrying a Russian flag and a placard. Further details are unknown.

14:40

Moscow

In Moscow, human rights activist, writer, and publicist Aleksandr Podrabinek has been detained. An acquaintance of the detainee told OVD-Info about this.

The reason for the detention was that Podrabinek was photographing people gathered at a protest against internet censorship on Bolotnaya Square. The detainee was taken to the police station in the Yakimanka district.

According to police officers, Podrabinek was “detained to obtain information about previous crimes.”

20:15 Podrabinek was released from the police station at around five o’clock in the evening, his acquaintance reported.

08:52

Tomsk Oblast

In Tomsk, a major city in Siberia, on the evening of 28 March, the organiser of a rally for a free internet was detained. Local activist Anton Isakov is being charged with “petty hooliganism,” reports RusNews.

“I was detained on suspicion of petty hooliganism. Currently at the Nakhimova police station,” Isakov reported.

The day before, the activist was summoned to the police, where he was given a warning and a notice to appear at the military enlistment office.

The authorities did not approve the rally in Tomsk itself, stating that all 15 possible venues in the city were already booked.

30 March The Kirov District Court of Tomsk sentenced Isakov to 14 days of arrest. This was reported on her Telegram channel by politician Kseniya Fadeyeva.

28.03.2026

13:39

Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

In Yakutsk, a city in the Russian Far East, the organiser of a rally for a free internet, Aleksei Popov, has been detained. He was taken to the police station. Popov himself reported this.

The man had submitted an application to hold a demonstration against internet blockages and throttling, but the authorities refused authorisation due to “the attention of disruptive individuals.”

On 30 March, Popov was released from the police station 48 hours after his detention, according to the Yakutia branch of the “Candidates’ Headquarters” reported.

He has been written up for disobeying the police (Article 19.3 of the Administrative Offences Code). As Popov’s relatives told the 7×7 publication, the police claimed that he refused to enter the police station and was swearing.

27.03.2026

18:26

Moscow

The Butyrsky District Court in Moscow has sentenced another applicant for the protest against internet blocks, Yevgeny Ladygin, to 15 days of administrative arrest. Information about this appeared on the city courts’ press service Telegram channel.

The young man was found guilty under the article for disobeying a lawful order from a police officer (Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences) due to his participation “in an unauthorised event against internet blocks on Bolotnaya Square.”

He has become the fifth detained applicant for the event that representatives of the Scarlet Swan movement wanted to hold on Bolotnaya Square on 29 March.

18:06

In Lyubertsy, near Moscow, the security forces detained one of the applicants for the Moscow rally against internet blocks, Artyom Neverov. OVD-Info was informed of this by an acquaintance of his.

The 20-year-old Neverov was charged with disobeying a police officer (Art. 19.3 of the Administrative Offences Code). The court sentenced him to administrative detention.

The detainee’s acquaintance said that the security forces broke into Neverov’s home and checked all his devices, including downloading information from his computer.

15:29

Moscow

Another university student in Moscow has been sentenced to 15 days’ arrest for “participating in an unsanctioned event against internet censorship on Bolotnaya Square.” This was reported by the press service of the city’s courts of general jurisdiction.

Alexandra Meshcheryakova was found guilty of disobeying police orders (Part 1, Article 19.3 of the Administrative Offences Code).

Сюжет

Protests against internet blockings: detentions and other forms of pressure

29.03.2026

28.03.2026

27.03.2026