Lawyer Ivan Pavlov** and his colleagues have launched a project to help those whom security forces charge with treason and spying. They are going to talk about what is happening during closed trials and help those who have to deal with arbitrariness. Pavlov** announced this in his Telegram channel.
Human rights advocates have launched a new project, Pervyi Otdel (‘First Department’), on the Homeland Security Officer Day. Lawyers are going to talk about what is happening during closed trials. In particular, they want to help those whom the security forces accuse of spying, treason or extremism for political reasons or for the sake of improving crime statistics.
"In recent years, special agents have invaded the privacy of those who have never been associated with state secrets, accusing saleswomen, housewives and journalists of spying, locking up the scientific elite of our country, breaking the lives of innocent people. People should be aware of the lawlessness that is happening behind closed doors under the veil of secrecy," the Telegram channel of the project wrote.
Pervyi Otdel’s creators reported that they were an open society and everyone who endorsed their values could participate in it. The project's lawyers are ready to work not only on criminal cases, but also in civil and administrative ones. For example, to help people who want to find out information about their repressed relatives.
Ivan Pavlov** organized the Komanda ('team') 29 Association of Lawyers since 2014. Human rights advocates defended journalists, activists and members of the Anti-Corruption Foundation* in courts.
In April 2021, Ivan Pavlov**, the community’s head, was accused of violating the secrecy of the investigation into journalist Ivan Safronov's case, who is under investigation in the case of treason. The lawyer left the country. Security forces put him on the wanted list, and the Ministry of Justice labeled him as a foreign agent.
After the Prosecutor General's Office linked Komanda 29 with the Czech organization, which is recognized as undesirable in Russia, the association announced its termination and deleted its website and pages in social networks.
