On July, 1 about 18:20 a well-known human rights activist Andrei Yurov, a member of the Human Rights Council under the President of the Russian Federation, the Honorary President of the Youth Human Rights Movement, was attacked in Voronezh near the Human Rights House. Two people in balaclava hit him several times and splashed with green disinfectant in the face. Doctors diagnosed a chemical first degree burn of conjunctiva.
Photo: Twitter of Ivan Kondratenko
Three days earlier, a festival "Gorod prav" organized by the Human Rights House, together with partner organizations, ended in Voronezh.
The festival was quite successful, widely reported in municipal media; it was visited by a total of more than 500 people, informed the House of Human Rights.
During the festival, printed news from the Internet resources on the activities of participants of the Human Rights House -Voronezh (Youth Human Rights Movement, Confederation of the free labor, etc.), as well as on the LGBT activists, were hung in a number of public places of Voronezh. It was initiated by a so-called "Group of Changes", which is known only by such actions.
Its leader is called Alexander Melyakin, who, according to the search sites, is known in Voronezh only by provocative actions against human rights defenders. According to information in their group on the site "VKontakte", "goal of their action was to demonstrate the anti-Russian activities of human rights organizations, and also to show that there is a fifth column in Voronezh that undermines civil principles of the state".
The next day, June 25, signs with the names of organizations on the entering of the Human Rights House have been removed or severely bent, apparently in an attempt to be disrupted.
A banner "A 5th column in Voronezh. THESE are the traitors, cattle and just dorks! Know by sight" appeared on the same day in the city center. This trick was also initiated by "Group of changes". The poster depicts photographs of the HRH participants and other socially active citizens of the city, including representatives of charitable organizations for the support of large families, children with disabilities, student organizations, and other. The banner was hanged by Alexander Kaminsky, who was identified by arrived citizens. Kaminsky is also an active participant of all the activities of the group, and besides, he is a head of the federal program "I am a volunteer" MGER in the Voronezh region, Voronezh branch of the movement "New People", and was one of the coordinators of the Headquarters of united action in support of Vladimir Putin in Voronezh.
4pera.ru, repeatedly accommodating editor’s articles, which assaulted human rights defenders, in a statement entitled "Group of Changes" showed enemies’ face" expressly informed that the release of the action was sent to them from the address of molodogvardeyets Kaminsky.
On March, 25 Kaminsky and two young men tried to break into the rooms of the Human Rights House, taking video. Human rights defenders called the police and wrote a relevant application, but the reaction of the law enforcement agencies have not yet been received.