Moscow police detain over 200 young people, reports of beatings and conscription notices emerge

Police carried out a large-scale raid in the Kitay-Gorod district of Moscow, detaining around 200 young people, including minors.

Source: Russian Telegram channels Ostorozhno, Novosti and Baza

Details: Relatives of those detained told Ostorozhno, Novosti that police were taking "everyone who was out on the street" to police vans in the Kitay-Gorod district without giving any explanation. Minors were among those detained, and police did not notify their parents. The police vans headed to the Basmanny and Tagansky police stations.

A detained young woman said that, in other police vans, law enforcement officers beat detainees and smashed their phones before photographing their passports and faces right there on the street. The detained minors were also not allowed to use the toilet. "They told us: 'We can't help you, you can either go in your trousers or behind a tree and get fined'," the detainees claimed.

Some of those detained in Kitay-Gorod were later released from police stations.

A 15-year-old detainee told Ostorozhno, Novosti that he had been beaten by the police.

Young people who were released said that law enforcement officers had detained people in Kitay-Gorod who were "in casual wear".

Meanwhile, the Moscow Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs described the raid as "preventive measures". One of the stated aims of the operation was to prevent "the consumption of alcoholic beverages in public places".

Those released from the Tagansky police station told Ostorozhno, Novosti that adults detained in Kitay-Gorod were being issued conscription notices to report to military enlistment offices.

"They bring in 10 people at a time, hand out notices and take them away," they said.

Ostorozhno, Novosti says that law enforcement officers issued conscription notices even to students with deferments. One man said that several detainees who had "argued with" officers were beaten in the police station toilet.

Baza reported that more than 200 young people had been detained during the large-scale raid in Kitay-Gorod. At least 17 teenagers received administrative citations for drinking alcohol in a public place.

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