Russia cracks down on dissent and homelessness ahead of the World Cup

Russia is cracking down on anti-Putin dissent and homelessness as the country prepares to host the World Cup. 

Maria Dubovik, 19, a medical student, was told this week that she will be left languishing in jail until at least September after she was caught disparaging Vladimir Putin’s government in a private chat with friends.

Meanwhile rough sleepers in Moscow have claimed they are being taken to ‘special camps’ away from World Cup venues and beaten if they refuse to comply.  

Maria Dubovik (left), a 19-year-old medical student, was told this week that she will have to sit in jail until September after she was caught making anti-Putin remarks in a group chat. Her lawyers say it is part of Russian efforts to crack down on dissent ahead of the World Cup

Meanwhile homeless people in host cities say they are being forced on to buses and taken to 'special camps' during the tournament, and beaten if they don't comply

Meanwhile homeless people in host cities say they are being forced on to buses and taken to ‘special camps’ during the tournament, and beaten if they don’t comply

A policeman told newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets (MK) that the homeless are being ordered ‘away from Moscow’ stating: ‘We just push them all out into the street towards special buses.

‘Then with words or batons we push them in – and goodbye!’ 

Elsewhere, Ms Dubovik appeared in a Moscow courtroom charged with ‘organising an extremist group’, The Telegraph reports.

She was arrested alongside five others over chats in a private group that were intercepted by undercover agents.

Dubovik was first jailed back in March and had applied for house arrest, but her request was turned down this week.

Instead she will have to wait in pre-trial detention until September, when the World Cup has finished.

Lawyer Maxim Pashkov said: ‘The increased security measures (around the World Cup) have led to innocent people getting in trouble, and dishonest law enforcement officials are using this to their advantage.

‘The atmosphere is such that they arrest first and figure out what actually happened later.’ 

Outside of Moscow, other World Cup host cities have seen similar crackdowns on ‘undesireables’.

While the vagrants have been promised food and shelter at the camps, in 1980 Russia simply dumped them 60 miles outside Moscow ahead of the Olympic Games 

While the vagrants have been promised food and shelter at the camps, in 1980 Russia simply dumped them 60 miles outside Moscow ahead of the Olympic Games 

Rough sleepers told Russian media that police are going around early in the morning with buses to round up the homeless in World Cup host cities

Rough sleepers told Russian media that police are going around early in the morning with buses to round up the homeless in World Cup host cities

Homeless from host city Kazan have been banished to Naberezhnye Chelny, and those from Ekaterinburg have been deported to Chelyabinsk, according to social media reports. 

One homeless woman called Irina was quoted saying: ‘They have already started cleaning up.

‘Four buses left Paveletsky and Kazansky railway stations. How are they doing it?

‘Just like this: in the evening or at night they come up when a few witnesses are around, and put people in.

‘Of course, nobody wants to go, so they force them – even beating sometimes. You cannot say no to these people.’

One man, Igor, was told that former army camps will be used as shelters for the duration of the World Cup.

‘They will have guards,’ he said. ‘I know for sure about such camps near Tver and Tula cities. This is only for the duration of the World Cup, later everyone will come back.’

Some have been told they will get decent shelter and food – though vagrants told the same thing before the 1980 Olympics were actually dumped 60 miles from Moscow.

Mityushkin, 23, said a concert was held this week for homeless people with songs, dancing and food.

But from the stage there was an announcement that buses would take them to camps outside the city.

‘There will be tents there and kitchen,’ he said, adding a social point at Yaroslavsky station had been closed.

‘It is said they will force us to go.’

A night duty policeman told MK: ‘We are just pushing them away from railway stations for now.

‘Yes, it is said that some clean up will follow.

‘But on the other hand, should they be allowed to keep walking here, their muzzles looming in front of tourists?’

A social services source said a shelter in the Moscow suburbs at Lyubertsy had 500 beds – for volunteers.

Homeless people eat at a canteen in Moscow, though there are fears that not all vagrants rounded up by the authorities will be treated so well

Homeless people eat at a canteen in Moscow, though there are fears that not all vagrants rounded up by the authorities will be treated so well

Those who resist would be taken to a another camp near Tver with 800 beds.

‘I know about two more camps – one in Klin district of Moscow region and some old army units in the same direction, about 101 km from Moscow,’ he said.

But Moscow’s social care department denied the claims.

‘Homeless people are the same citizens like you and me, and it is illegal to transfer them somewhere by force,’ said a spokesman.

‘We have not received any extra instructions due to the World Cup, so we keep working according to the law and for the people’s good.’

Vladimir Chernikov, head of Moscow Regional Security and Anti-Corruption Department, said: ‘No more 101 km, it is just impossible.’

Officials say football games involving the homeless will be held tomorrow (SAT) in a Moscow park.

But MK reported: ‘This did happen in the past.

‘Thirty eight years ago, before the Olympic Games, Moscow suddenly became deserted.

‘All ‘non-trustworthy’ citizens – the term ‘homeless’ was not used at that time – were strongly advised to leave the capital in order not to disturb the foreign guests.

‘Those beggars and other filth should not spoil the image of the socialist city.’

The Soviet Union had now gone but expelling the homeless ‘is not going to change’.



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