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In Novosibirsk, a major city in Siberia, 15 people were detained at an unsanctioned rally against the blocking of the Telegram messenger. The detainees themselves told OVD-Info about this.
They were taken to Police Station No. 1. Defenders from OVD-Info, Vasily Dubkov and Olga, came to the scene.
Among those detained were Sergei Oshchepkov, a journalist from 'Sib.fm', as well as random passersby, according to 'Sibirsky Express'.
City authorities banned the rally, citing tree pruning at the intended venue—the Hyde Park near the Globus Theatre. Machinery was brought in, and the entrance was cordoned off with red and white tape bearing a notice: 'Tree inspection in progress. Entry is prohibited'. Meanwhile, the law allows rallies to be held at this site without prior authorisation. Previously, city hall had banned a rally in another Hyde Park as well.
11:24 Four people were released from the police station, including Alexey Abrosimov and journalist Sergei Oshchepov. Defenders from OVD-Info who had come to the station to support the detainees reported this.
Oshchepov told them he had shown police his press credentials before his detention.
No offence reports were drawn up against any of the four.
The detainees are being asked for explanations at the station, are being photographed, and their fingerprints and shoeprints are being taken.
Defenders from OVD-Info say they are not being allowed to see the other detainees inside the station.
11:38 Defender Olga reported that there were 16 detainees in total, and that another young woman had just been released. In all, six people had been released by this time, all without offence reports.
11:59 Eight people detained at the rally in defence of Telegram have now been released from the station, according to defenders from OVD-Info.
No reports were drawn up against them, but at least two received a notice to appear at an unspecified date.
OVD-Info defender Vasily Dubkov was allowed in to see the detainees, but the second defender was still not being let in. Olga said police were telling the detainees that she had been allowed in and was with the others:
‘They won’t let me in on the pretext that the duty area is a secure zone. My client was taken through there without me.’
13:07 All the detainees have been released from the police station, according to defenders from OVD-Info. No offence reports were drawn up against them. At least three people received a notice to appear at an unspecified date.
The story has been updated with information that another OVD-Info defender is present at the police station. The headline was also changed after information emerged about a 16th detainee.