The classes are held in the premises of the Committee for the Protection of Consumer Rights on Bolshaya Tatarskaya Street. There was no full house at the first lecture. In total, about ten people showed up. Mostly activists of the popular website Nеlegal.ru.
"We have encountered the fact that most people simply do not know basic legal norms," explains Ilya Zakharov, one of the seminar organizers. "Moreover, not only citizens but even the police do not know the laws. Especially patrol officers who check documents on the streets. So we decided to eliminate this gap as best we could."
The training format has not yet been chosen. For now, they have settled on express trainings. All attendees will be supplied with excerpts from laws and the book by human rights activist Boris Dulnev, "Checking Documents and Registration in a Public Place."
"A policeman stops you, what should you do first?" the moderator asks the "students" gathered in a circle.
They exchange glances and shrug. It turns out that almost everyone has to reach into their pocket for the red passport book at least once a week. And since no one has registration or permanent Moscow residency, in the best case it ends with a fine on the spot. In the worst case, with being taken to the nearest "monkey house" and three hours of lost time.
"You should ask the policeman for his ID and on what basis he stopped you," shares Yuri, a hardened illegal migrant. "Then take out a pencil and notebook and write it all down. At this stage, almost 80% of patrolmen drop off. It happens that they, seeking to earn extra money, check documents outside their territory. And that is a violation of the regulations."
"It is very important not to put on the face of a victim," the moderator adds. "Better to put on an impenetrable mask of a bureaucrat. Let them think your father is a minister and your mother is a deputy. But the conversation must be filled with icy politeness. It is worth remembering that, according to Article 11 of the Law 'On the Police,' they can demand your documents only when they have 'sufficient grounds to suspect you of a crime or administrative offense.' Often patrolmen refer to composite sketches of criminals and accuse you of resembling some bandit. Write down the number of the wanted notice so you can appeal later. At the station, be sure to demand a copy of the report and a receipt for the fine."
However, as experienced fighters against Moscow residency requirements admit, sometimes the psychological attack does not work. For example, in the evening it is better for girls not to argue with law enforcement officers at all. "Werewolves in uniform," despite purges, are still to be found in Moscow. One of the seminar listeners, Jeannette, told a story that happened to her in the metro as a lesson. An attractive brunette looking at street signs immediately attracted the attention of three patrolmen. She had no registration. The girl was immediately handcuffed and dragged to the station. True, Jeannette began to scream that they wanted to rape her and asked passersby for help. The policemen explained along the way that they had detained a dangerous repeat offender. Several passersby responded, and until she was released, they sat in the duty room.
What to do when documents are checked?
1. When addressing a citizen, a patrolman must clearly state his first name, last name, and rank, and present his ID upon request. Officers who are off duty, on vacation, as well as officers of private security and OMON, have no right to address you or take any action against you. A policeman must be sober and in uniform. According to the PPS charter, a trainee has no right to independently check documents, let alone draw up administrative reports.
2. Neither the Constitution, nor the RF Law "On the Police," nor the PPS charter contains requirements that citizens must constantly carry their main identity document. The absence of a passport is not an administrative offense.
3. In accordance with the Code of Administrative Offenses of the RF, only the district inspector service can draw up reports on administrative offenses and impose penalties in the form of a fine of up to one minimum wage (MW) or an official warning. It follows that PPS officers are not authorized to check your registration. This is a direct violation of the law. No normative act gives law enforcement officers the right to demand, nor imposes on citizens the obligation to present evidence confirming their arrival or departure from a particular locality and the duration of their stay there.