European Forum

Dutch social democrat MEP assaulted by Russian police in protests

On 31 August during an opposition demonstration in Moscow a Dutch MEP of the Social Democratic fraction (S&D group), Thijs Berman, was assaulted by Russian police officers. This was stated by his Finish colleague from the Green party, who chairs the EU’s parliament's human rights subcommittee and who was also present at the event, Heidi Hautala. Berman together with the delegation of three other MEPs attended the protest rally organised by the Russian opposition. Hautala said that Berman was pushed hard-handily by the police. "This is an amazing way of dealing with democracy, shocking," Berman told international reporters. "A government that considers itself strong should be able to allow a few protesters." Hautala said: "It is disappointing to see that a country that wants to profile itself as such a strong actor in the world cannot even tolerate a few dissenting voices."

31st on the 31st
Moscow police said around 400 protesters took part in the demonstration and that 300 journalists turned up to report on the event. Riot police also came out in force, with estimates of around 1,000 officers backed by a fleet of vehicles. The police charged at protesters a few seconds after they unfurled their banners making 70 arrests, including of senior opposition leaders such as Boris Nemstov. A similar protest the same day in St Petersburg ended in 79 arrests.

Another demonstration outside the Russian embassy in London on 31 August was attended by 30 people, including the exiled oligarch Boris Berezovsky and the widow of a Russian spy killed by radiation poisoning in 2006, Marina Litvinenko. The protests take place regularly on the 31st day of the month in reference to Article 31 of the Russian constitution on freedom of assembly.

The European Parliament delegation is travelling to Beslan in the North Caucasus region on 1 September to meet families of the victims of the 2004 Beslan school massacre. "There has never been a proper investigation into what took place," Ms Hautala told international media by phone from Russia on 31 August.


Sources: EU Observer; RFE/RL