Echoes of the Bronze Night

Echoes of the Bronze Night refers to the aftermath of the Bronze Night in Tallinn.

Political reactions

Katyn Committee (relatives of Polish officers, who were executed on the orders of the Soviet authorities in the village of Katyn) in Poland, said:

" [Estonia] " suffered from the Soviet occupation, while Soviet monuments have always been the symbol of slavery and lies, as well as Russian chauvinism. The Katyn Committee expresses solidarity with the sovereign government of Estonia and approves its decision to remove the Soviet monuments, sites of the 'Red' empire. We are indignant at Russian official statements threatening to cut off diplomatic ties with Estonia." [ [http://en.rian.ru/world/20070428/64633570.html RIA Novosti - World - Poland should also remove Soviet monuments - Katyn Committee ] ] [ [http://www.postimees.ee/290407/esileht/valisuudised/257827.php Postimees: Poolas kutsutakse üles punamonumente eemaldama ] ]

flagicon|Russia On April 28 three large Russian supermarket networks: Seventh Continent, Kopeika and Samokhval banned all Estonian commodities. [cite web|url=http://lenta.ru/news/2007/04/28/supermarkets/|title=Three large supermarket networks boycott Estonian commodities|publisher=Lenta.ru|date=2007-04-28|accessdate=2007-04-29 ru icon]

flagicon|Estonia The Mayor of Tallinn and the oppositional Centre Party chairman Edgar Savisaar condemned the disproportional use of force by the police stating that there is "no explanation why several policemen should apply physical force against a handcuffed detainee" [ [http://rus.delfi.ee/daily/estonia/article.php?id=15711237 Savisaar will complain about the police actions] DELFI 29 April 2007] . He also stated that the central government should compensate the city of Tallinn the losses caused by the unrest over the relocation of the monument. According the Savisaar the direct losses exceed 40..50 million Estonian kroons (2.5 - 3 million EUR) [ [http://rus.delfi.ee/daily/estonia/article.php?id=15701713 "Savisaar sent Ansip demand for compensations"] DELFI 27 апреля 2007 ] As a reaction to his statement (disapproved of by many leading Estonian politicians), the Estonian National Movement started to collect signatures on Internet for Mayor Savisaar's resignation. [ [http://www.postimees.ee/300407/esileht/siseuudised/tallinn/257996.php Savisaare tagasiastumise poolt on allkirja andnud tuhandeid inimesi] ]

flagicon|Russia On May 1, Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov has proposed to boycott everything related to Estonia for "actions taken against the Bronze Soldier Monument and graves of our soldiers". He said that Russian companies should cut their relations with partners in Estonia. "One should tell our business: stop contacts with Estonia. The country showed its negative, and I would say fascist face", the mayor said, adding: "No one will be able to re-write the history." [ [http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/28.html?id_issue=11725038 Interfax > Politics ] ]

International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights:

"According to media reports as well as reports received by the IHF, police in some cases used disproportionate force against riot participants. Some protesters were reportedly hit with batons, beaten and mistreated after being taken into custody in a temporary detention facility established in a terminal at the Tallinn port. Some cases of apparent police brutality were documented by TV broadcasts and cell phone recordings.

The riots in Tallinn and other Estonian cities have served to highlight remaining problems relating to the integration of the country's Russian-speaking minority, which constitutes about one third of the 1.4 million residents. Despite a number of important legislative reforms since the first years of independence, this minority is still not officially recognized as a linguistic minority and continues to face discrimination and exclusion in everyday life, thus fostering frustration and resentment among its members. Many Russian-speakers still lack Estonian citizenship, Russian-language education has gradually been reduced and stringent language requirements restrict access to the labor market for Russian-speakers. " [http://www.ihf-hr.org/viewbinary/viewhtml.php?doc_id=7532]

flagicon|Russia The veteran politician and human rights activist Sergey Kovalyov writes in the Polish newspaper "Gazeta Wyborcza" [Text of the article [http://serwisy.gazeta.pl/swiat/1,34180,4102703.html in Polish] ] that Russia's position is hypocritical and implies double standards. In his opinion Russia opposes the removal of the monument because it is still led by successors of the Stalinist era, who have never apologized to the Eastern Europe for having turned it into a concentration camp. [summarised [http://www.postimees.ee/030507/esileht/valisuudised/258531.php in Estonian] ]

flagicon|Estonia Estonian media expert Tarmu Tammerk compares heavy criticism and calls to discharge of sociologist Juhan Kivirähk, who called for resignation of Estonian government, to an attempt of the Ansip government to establish "üks rahvas, üks riik, üks juht" ("one people, one state, one leader") ideology referring to the notorious citation "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer" by Adolf Hitler and states that sociologists must have full freedom of speech [http://www.epl.ee/arvamus/384770 TARMU TAMMERK: sotsioloog peaks omama täielikku sõnavabadust] Eesti Päevaleht May 7 2007 ] .

flagicon|Estonia Andres Põder the current Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Estonia, said that it was right thing for defending grave peace to rebury Soviet soldiers' remains to cemetery and also remove memorial which had became symbol of occupation and ground of political provocations. [http://www.postimees.ee/070507/esileht/siseuudised/259033.php Põder toetas Tõnismäele maetute ümbermatmist] Postimees May 6 2007] .

flagicon|Estonia Artur Taevere, founder of "Heateo Sihtasutus", and other young volunteers have started a campaign "Valge tulp / Белый тюльпан", [cite web |title=Valge tulp / Белый тюльпан |url=http://whitetulips2007.blogspot.com/ |publisher=Blogspot |accessdate=2007-05-07] asking Estonians and Russians to place white tulips at sites that are of emotional value to members of the other ethnic community to counteract the bad feelings that the events have caused. [cite news |title=Призыв к эстонцам и русским: дарите друг другу белые тюльпаны |url=http://rus.postimees.ee/060507/glavnaja/estonija/15868.php |publisher=Postimees Online |accessdate=2007-05-07]

flagicon|Russia On May 7 Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar has called on the Estonian authorities to review their position regarding the reburial of the remains of Soviet soldiers in Tallinn. He said that "When Nazism unfortunately rears its ugly head in Europe today and as there have been attempts to deny the Holocaust, Estonia is acting in a manner that insults memory, which alarms us". He added that "The Jewish people will always regard what the Soviet soldiers did as a heroic feat" In addition, Jews consider remains of those people "holy, and reburial is allowed only in exceptional cases." [ [http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=2993 Interfax-Religion ] ]

flagicon|Russia On May 1 Patriarch Alexius II of Moscow and All Russia, who was born in Tallinn, said after a service at Moscow's Intercession Monastery that The Estonian government's struggle against the memory of soldiers who fell in battle against fascism is indecent. "Fighting against the dead, against the soldiers who have always been honored by all nations, is the most unworthy deed. It is immoral to profane the memory of the dead", he said. "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. This is what Christ our Savior said." The Patriarch added that "When (Estonian) political leaders use the words as "drunkards" and "marauders", it is unworthy of the politician or a statesman. [ [http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=2982 Interfax-Religion ] ]

flagicon|Russia On May 3 The Russian Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations (KEROOR) issued a statement criticizing the Estonian government for relocating a Soviet World War II memorial in Tallinn and for alleged Nazi sympathies. "The demonstratively defiant form in which the Estonian authorities have dismantled the Monument to the Liberator Warrior and are relocating the nearby grave of soldiers who gave their lives fighting fascism is not an accidental or spontaneous act", the KEROOR said in a statement. "Estonian authorities prefer to gloss over the fact that punitive detachments and the Estonian SS legion killed between 120,000 and 140,000 Russians, Jews, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Gypsies, and people of other ethnic groups during 1941-1944." [ [http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=2991 Interfax-Religion ] ]

flagicon|Israel On April 30 Simon Wiesenthal Center criticized the removal from the center of Tallinn to a military cemetery by the Estonian government late last week of "a Soviet memorial commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany", which had stood for decades in the center of the Estonian capital". In a statement issued in Jerusalem by its chief Nazi-hunter, Israel director Dr. Efraim Zuroff, the Center asserted that the removal of the monument minimizes the severity of the crimes of the Holocaust in Estonia and insults the Nazis' victims in the country. [cite web |url=http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/apps/s/content.asp?c=fwLYKnN8LzH&b=253162&ct=3833035 |title=Wiesenthal Center: Removal by Estonian Government of Soviet-Era Memorial From City Center Reflects Lack of Sensitivity to Nazi Crimes and Insults Their Victims |publisher=Simon Wiesenthal Center |date=2007-04-30 |accessdate=2007-08-14]

flagicon|Russia Russian professor of economy, Konstantin Sonin, condemned the relocation of Bronze Soldier in "The Moscow Times" article on May 8, 2007, saying that not only "the Estonian government clearly did not show its best side", but also "journalists who wrote of the "Russian monster" in an editorial published in one of Estonia's most popular newspapers crossed all conceivable limits of journalistic etiquette and political correctness". The author discussed possible alternative ways for Russian response to such hostile actions. These could be limiting temporarily access to the memorial to the victims of the violent resettlement of the Baltic peoples or reducing funding for taking care of certain halls within the Museum of Political Repression. Sonin concludes that implementation of these methods is so far impossible, because Russia does not have any such monuments to the suffering of people from other countries [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2007/05/08/007.html Impossible Symmetry] Moscow Times May 08 2007 ]

{flagicon|Russia On May 9 longtime human rights activist and World War II veteran Yelena Bonner called on Russians to acknowledge that the victory did not result in the liberation for many countries, including the Baltic nations. "We didn't liberate anyone, we weren't even able to liberate ourselves, although for four difficult years of war we hoped for it. We even said 'After the war, if we survive it, all life will be different.' It didn't happen; not in 1945, not in 1991!" she wrote in an e-mailed statement.cite news |title=Putin, makes veiled warning to Estonia about Soviet memorial |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/09/europe/EU-GEN-Russia-Victory-Day.php |publisher=International Herald Tribune |page=2 |date=2007-05-09 |accessdate=2007-07-21 ] [http://www.diena.lv/komentari/lasit.php?id=304497] Diena May 09 2007 ]

Nashi movement

, Russia. [http://www.trud.ru/issue/article.php?id=200705050770102] , [http://www.lenta.ru/articles/2007/05/17/hack/] ]

On June 4, 2007, three members of the Nashi movement, clothed in tent coats, proceeded to stand in for the Bronze Soldier in its former location. Estonian authorities responded by cancelling their tourism visas for non-tourism activities and deported all three to Russia. [ [http://www.postimees.ee/050607/esileht/siseuudised/264609.php Naši aktivistid toimetati eile õhtul Eestist välja] et icon]

On June 14, 2007, Russian authorities expressed concern of the discrepancy between a 13-member list of burials and only 12 exhumed bodies, accusing Estonian archeologists of losing the thirteenth body. [Postimees June 14, 2007: [http://www.postimees.ee/140607/esileht/siseuudised/266331.php Venemaa: eestlased kaotasid 13. Tõnismäele maetu ära] ] Estonian government has refuted the claims, based on the dig's final report concluding there were no more burials in this area, and instead proposed that captain Sysoyev was mistakenly added to the 13-member list in the postwar confusion.

On July 4, 2007, in a speech delivered as a part of reburial of remains of Yelena Varshavskaya at Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, Russia's Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar, who conducted her reburial, denounced statements describing the Soviet soldiers as occupants. [RIA Novosti July 4, 2007: [http://en.rian.ru/world/20070704/68358856.html] ]

The Nashi movement had planned pickets in Estonia on September 22, 2007, to commemorate "liberation of Tallinn from fascism". After Estonian embassy in Moscow refused to issue visas for such purpose, pickets were instead held in front of the embassy. [Postimees 22 September 2007: [http://www.postimees.ee/220907/esileht/valisuudised/284680.php Našistid piketeerisid Eesti saatkonna ees] , edited by Oliver Tiks]

Claims of police brutality

The secretary of the Estonian Anti-Fascist Committee and at the same time the chairman of the Constitution Party Andrei Zarenkov claimed that as detention centers are overcrowded many of the detainees were taken to a cargo terminal in Tallinn seaport. "People were forced to squat for hours or lie on the concrete floor with their hands tied behind their backs. The police used plastic handcuffs which caused great pain", he said. "The security men selectively beat the detainees including women and teenagers. We have an account that they beat a 12-year-old girl lying on the floor for attempting to stand up. We have pictures of a toilet which is stained with the blood of the injured detainees", Zarenkov said. He said that all the accounts would be collected, documented and submitted to human rights groups.Interfax: [http://www.interfax.com/3/266697/news.aspx Ethnic Russians quit Estonian police to stay away from violence] ]

The police has denied the claims of the Anti-Fascist Committee. A spokesman for the northern police prefecture, Harrys Puusepp, refuted the charges of ill treatment of the detainees and also said that rumors of the resignation of police officers (see below) are untrue. "Nobody has beaten them. They have been treated politely. All amenities were provided for them and medical assistance was offered. Those who spent more than 12 hours in detention were supplied with meals", he said.

The Estonian Chancellor of Justice has checked on these claims, visited all detention centres, and found no signs of violations of Constitution, nor any detainees who would support claims of police brutality [ [http://www.postimees.ee/250207/tartu_postimees/246794.php Postimees: Allar Jõks leidis Tartu psühhiaatriakliinikus rikkumisi ] ] or make complaints [EPL: [http://epl.ee/artikkel/384174 Jõks: mulle pole esitatud ühtegi kaebust] ] .

As of May 22, 2007 the office of Procurator General of Estonia received more than fifty complaints on the police brutality, after checking the facts seven criminal cases against police have been opened [http://www.svobodanews.ru/Article/2007/05/22/20070522180100853.html "Barrister of Mark Sirõk: I have no complaints on investigation"] Radio Liberty ru icon ] .

On May 1 Finnish tabloid Iltalehti published an interview with German nationals Klaus and Lucas Dornemanns (65 and 35 years old) [http://www.iltalehti.fi/uutiset/200705016054874_uu.shtml Saksalainen isä ja poika kertovat kauhun hetkistään Tallinnan poliisin huostassa (Germans, father and son Dornemanns talk about their nightmare in Tallinn Police)] Iltalehti May 1, 2005 fi icon ] . According to their story the Dornemanns were just walking in the area of Freedom Square when they were beaten and arrested by the police. However by their own later admission they attempted to cross the square between the lines of the security forces and demonstrators who were in a stand-off position. The son spent 8 hours in the terminal D and his 65-year old father 10 hours. According to them at least half of the detainees had no connection to the vandalism on the Tallinn streets. Still they were denied access to water and toilets, they were even forbidden to move. If anybody attempted to stand up they were beaten by the police. The article provides photograph of the Dornemanns showing large hematomas over their bodies.

Members of the special fact-finding mission of Russian Federation's Duma also visited the WCs of the detention area in temporary detention area in the D terminal of Port of Tallinn, looking for blood stains caused by beatings erroneously reported by some newspapers, and found none. [Postimees: [http://www.postimees.ee/010507/esileht/siseuudised/viimased_sundmused/258115.php Riigiduuma esindajate hinnangul on pronkssõdurit tükkideks lõigatud] ]

Zarenkov also claimed that about 350 Russian-speaking police officers want to resign, or have already resigned, from Estonian police force so as not to participate in ostensibly violent actions to stop the unrest, such as mandatory beating of women and children.Interfax: [http://www.interfax.ru/r/B/politics/2.html?id_issue=11724961 Русскоязычные полицейские подают заявления об уходе, не желая участвовать в насилии - Антифашистский комитет] ] Such claims have been refuted by Estonian police.Postimees: [http://www.postimees.ee/290407/esileht/siseuudised/257853.php Politsei: jutt lahkuvatest venelastest politseinikest on vale] ]

A number of video clips, usually taken via cellphone camera, have appeared on Youtube under the keyword 'eSStonia', ostensibly to corroborate the police brutality claims. [http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=58266861 YouTube - Broadcast Yourself ] ] According to Estonian newspaper Eesti Päevaleht, most of them are mislabelled, apparently in an attempt to frame the incidents recorded in the clips in a pro-rioter way. For example, the clip labelled " [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ha0XZWkymQ&NR=1 eSStonia - Police car crushes pedestrians crowd] " features no pedestrian-menacing cars.Eesti Päevaleht: [http://epl.ee/artikkel/383927 Vandaalide videod koguvad Youtube´is vaatajaid] ]

ituation at the Estonian embassy in Moscow

In the days following the relocation, the Embassy of Estonia in Moscow was besieged by protesters, including pro-Kremlin youth organisations "Nashi" and the "Molodaya Gvardiya".

On Monday, April 30, Estonia's foreign minister Urmas Paet reported that "the situation had become much worse in the previous night. [ [http://www.postimees.ee/300407/esileht/siseuudised/257966.php Postimees: Paet: ööga muutus olukord saatkonna juures hullemaks ] ] The building is by now completely blocked." [http://www.postimees.ee/300407/esileht/siseuudised/258003.php et icon] Paet says that Estonia's foreign ministry had sent a note [http://www.postimees.ee/300407/esileht/siseuudised/258005.php et icon, also reported by Russian media: http://rian.ru/world/relations/20070430/64681928.html ru icon] to Russia's foreign ministry, due to Russia's apparent unwillingness and impotency to defend the embassy building and its staff (which violates Diplomatic law, especially the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations). Estonia's foreign ministry claims that the life and health of the diplomats and their family members residing in Moscow have been directly threatened. [http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/384003 et icon]

Estonia's president Toomas Hendrik Ilves expressed his astonishment that Russia has - despite the promises of foreign minister Lavrov - not taken actions to protect the diplomatic personnel. In Ilves' opinion, the ostensible powerlessness of Russia's defense services (e.g. Omon) is especially surprising, given their quick work when dispersing meetings of Russian opposition forces. [As images show, the protesters have entered into embassy territory. E.g. [http://www.postimees.ee/300407/esileht/siseuudised/258003_foto.php#33 here] 'фашистская зона' - 'fascist zone' has been scribbled on embassy wall.]

On the same day, members of the crowd protesting before the embassy declared that if Estonian authorities would not set a date for the restoration of the Bronze Soldier statue in its former prominent place, they would begin demolishing the Estonian embassy building on May 1st (traditionally also Labour Day, important in Russia and the former Soviet Union). The building itself was covered with graffiti and stones were thrown at it.

During the night, protesters, both from pro-Putin and Communist parties, were playing and singing aloud famous Soviet war marches of the Red Army. They called the Estonians Fascists.Fact|date=May 2007

On May 2, the protesters attacked the Estonian ambassador, Marina Kaljurand, despite diplomatic immunity. The vehicle of the Swedish ambassador was also attacked. [ [http://www.iltalehti.fi/uutiset/200705026057323_uu.shtml Iltalehti - Ruotsin suurlähettilästä vastaan hyökättiin Moskovassa] ] Family members of the embassy staff have been evacuated [http://www.postimees.ee/020507/esileht/siseuudised/258306.php et icon / http://rus.postimees.ee/020507/glavnaja/estonija/15699.php ru icon] . During the night of May 2 - May 3, the Estonian embassy in Moscow was stoned by unknown vandals; there were also protests around the embassy of Georgia (Georgia has expressed support for Estonia) [http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/384405 et icon; http://rus.postimees.ee/030507/glavnaja/za_rubezhom/15740.php ru icon] .

On May 3, the ambassador Kaljurand left Moscow on a two-week vacation.The protesters ended their blockade the same day. There has been speculation that the vacationwas suggested byGermany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (by means of behind-the-scenes realpolitik)to soothe Russian-Estonian tensions. [ [http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2473055,00.html Report: Germany Intervened in Russia-Estonia Dispute | Germany | Deutsche Welle | 04.05.2007 ] ]

On May 1, Estonian foreign minister Urmas Paet suggested to consider calling off the upcoming EU-Russia Summit that was due to take place on 18 May): "We consider it necessary that the European Union react in the toughest way to Russia's behavior. It might imply suspending or canceling various negotiations. Postponing the EU-Russia Summit should be seriously considered" [http://www.kommersant.com/p763227/r_1/Estonia_EU-Russia_summit/ Estonia Makes European Alliance against Russia] ] [ [http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/384207 Statement by the Foreign Minister Urmas Paet] ] . Paet stated that "the EU is under attack, because Russia is attacking Estonia." [http://www.euractiv.com/en/enlargement/estonian-dispute-looms-over-eu-russia-summit/article-163526 Estonian dispute looms over EU-Russia Summit] ] .

Spokesperson for German Chancellor Angela Merkel told that the summit will not be postponed, butEuropean Commission said that a decision to raise the issue at the EU-Russia Summit depends on the development of the current situation. Commission spokesperson Christiane Hohmann said: "We share the concerns about the increasing violence around the Estonian embassy in Moscow and we strongly urge the Russian authorities to implement their obligations under the Vienna Convention for diplomatic relations."

Threatened and alleged sanctions

On May 3, 2007, Russia suddenly announced plans for repairs to railway lines to Estonia, disrupting oil and coal exports to Estonia. As a result, oil companies scurried to secure alternative export routes. Normally Estonia's ports handle about a quarter of such shipments from Russia to world markets. Although Russia denied it was imposing economic sanctions or taking politically inspired action against Estonia, it is suspected that the sudden railway repair plan is connected to the row over the war memorial. [ S. WAGSTYL, "Russia rail move to hit Estonia supply line" in the "Financial Times", May 3, 2007, p. 3.]

The Russian transport firm Severstaltrans says it is suspending construction of an $80m (£40m) car plant in Estonia. [BBC NEWS, "Estonian embassy blockade to end", May 3, 2007, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6619103.stm] ]

One of the largest Russian dailies Komsomolskaya Pravda issued a call for Russia-wide boycott of Estonian goods, later re-newed with addition of a list of undertakings, deemed "anti-Russian". [KP.ru "Откажись от эстонских товаров!", April 27, 2007 [http://www.kp.ru/daily/23894.4/66660/] ]

Propaganda

Pro-rioter propaganda

During the events, a number of propaganda efforts were undertaken by various people and groups of people that served to muddy the issue, confuse the state of the monument, and inflame the pro-monument (mostly Russian-speaking) populationFact|date=May 2007. Even before the first riot, rumours were circulated that under cover of the tent, the monument had been demolished and the war victims buried underneath thrown out as trash. [Postimees: [http://www.postimees.ee/280407/esileht/siseuudised/257712.php Venelased süüdistavad valitsust vandalismis] ] These rumours were supported with a fake photo depicting the statue sawed off above feet. [See [http://surnuaed.ee/sold_fake.gif] .] Picked up by Russian media, the rumors were sometimes falsely attributed as public statements of "Estonian government press service". [RIA Novosti: [http://en.rian.ru/world/20070427/64546318.html Estonian government cuts up WWII memorial] ]

After the first night of rioting, the direction of the propaganda changed towards attempts to justify the rioting, declaring the rioters to be peaceful demonstrators and the arrested suspected vandals political prisoners, and making various accusations towards the government of Estonia.

Leader of the Constitutional party Andrei Zarenkov claimed on Friday morning that the bones had already been dug up and thrown away and the statue cut to pieces and scrapped. He was sure, it was never going to be restored [ [http://www.postimees.ee/280407/esileht/siseuudised/257712.php "Venelased süüdistavad valitsust vandalismis"] Postimees 28 April 2007] . A day later the same man claimed that more than 350 ethnic Russian police officers have already or will be resigning shortly in protest to having to discipline rioters. These claims of his were soon refuted as outright lies by police officials [ [http://www.postimees.ee/290407/esileht/siseuudised/257853.php "Politsei: jutt lahkuvatest venelastest politseinikest on vale"] Postimees 12 March 2007]

The State Infosystems' Development Center has evaluated the ongoing DDoS attack on Estonian government's and infrastructural Internet servers as being partly motivated by desire to suppress flow of information regarding the events from Estonia to other countries. [Postimees: [http://www.postimees.ee/090507/esileht/siseuudised/259637.php Küberpätid ründavad Eestit maruliselt] ]

A number of video clips, usually taken via cellphone camera, have appeared on Youtube under the keyword 'eSStonia', ostensibly to corroborate the police brutality claims.According to Estonian newspaper Eesti Päevaleht, most of them are mislabelled, apparently in an attempt to frame the incidents recorded in the clips in a pro-rioter way. For example, the clip labelled "eSStonia - Police car crushes pedestrians crowd" features no pedestrian-menacing cars.

Pro-rioter propaganda in Russia

Russian news sources have reported various rumours mentioned above as facts. This has caused confusion of the situation among people served by Russian-language media, and may have influenced the severity of the situation at the Estonian embassy in MoscowFact|date=May 2007.

Distinctly, many participants in the blockade believe that what were characterised as "riots" by Estonian official sources were actually a peaceful political demonstration and that Dmitri (also spelt Dmitry) Ganin, the man that died in the riots died through police brutality while attempting to defend the monument. [ITAR-TASS: [http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11488124&PageNum=0 Estonia (sic) metropolitan denounces violence in Tallinn] ] [ITAR-TASS: [http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11488690&PageNum=0 Meetings and rallies banned in Estonia] ] [EPL: [http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/384177 Rahutustes pussitatud Dmitri rüüstas poode] ] He has been ceremonially declared a "hero of Russia" by activists involved in the blockade. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-04-29-estonia-russia_N.htm Estonia blames Russian media for lies] ] [Jaanus Piirsalu, [http://jaanuspiirsalu.blogspot.com/2007/04/vene-noorte-uus-eeskuju-dmitri.html Vene noorte uus eeskuju — Dmitri] , April 30, 2007]

Dmitri Linter

A number of propagandistic claims were made by or about Dmitri Linter, a leader of Nochnoy Dozor, who is currently (as of June 16, 2007) in court-sanctioned detention pending investigation into his role in organising the rioting.

In May 4, Rambler-news reported that Mr. Linter had been taken by the Estonian law enforcement from the Mustamäe hospital under an intravenous line, and that his health and whereabouts had been withheld from his family since. [http://www.rambler.ru/news/russia/0/10282539.html "Wife of the Nochnoy Dozor's leader pleas to free her husband"] Rambler-news 4 May 2007 ru icon] These claim were soon refuted by the State Procurature, whose official release declares that " [Linter] was taken to the hospital because he claimed to have "various ills", he was given a full medical and declared healthy". [ [http://www.postimees.ee/280407/esileht/siseuudised/257797.php Postimees: Kohus võttis Öise Vahtkonna liidri vahi alla ] ]

Law enforcement response

The police are treating the riots as disorderly conduct (a misdemeanor under Estonian law) or severe disorderly conduct committed in a group (a felony under Estonian law), depending on the circumstances of any particular incident, and are proceeding accordingly. About 1,000 suspected rioters were arrested. Acts of vandalism and looting are treated separately, and processed as criminal incidents separate from the rioting.

Three men (Dmitri Linter, Max Reve and an 18-year old school boy Mark Sirõk)have been detained under a court order for up to 6 months, pending investigation of the suspicion of organising riots (a felony under Estonian law punishable of imprisonment of up to 5 years). [Postimees: [http://www.postimees.ee/280407/esileht/siseuudised/257797.php Kohus võttis Öise Vahtkonna liidri vahi alla] ] [Postimees: [http://www.postimees.ee/300407/esileht/siseuudised/257965.php Märuli organiseerimises kahtlustatav vahistati teel kodanikuõpetuse eksamile] ] . There were concerns about the health of Mark Sirõ, who has Haemophilia, but his attorney stated that he had no complaints.

Since the riots took place in the centre of the city, after hours of tension, many thousands of frames of photographic and video material of the events are available, both from journalists and security cameras and from witnesses among general public (who usually used cellphone cameras). The police have gathered a number of such photographs depicting unidentified suspects on a website at [http://tuvasta.politsei.ee Identification of Persons] (not available from outside Estonia while a foreign DDoS attack on Estonian government servers is underway [Government Communication Office Briefing Room: [http://www.valitsus.ee/brf/index.php?id=282992&tpl=1007&external=&search=&aasta= Malicious cyber attacks against Estonia come from abroad] ] [F-Secure Web log: [http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/#00001181 Large attacks against websites run by the Estonian government] ] ) and asked the public to identify such unidentified people.

The police have also called for rioters and looters to turn themselves in voluntarily. [Postimees: [http://www.postimees.ee/290407/esileht/krimi/257874.php Politsei kutsub märatsenud noori end ise üles andma] ] Aiding law enforcement in investigating one's own unlawful acts, including turning oneself in before an arrest warrant has been issued, is considered a meritorious deed and grounds for lessening punishment under Estonian law.

218 out of almost 300 vandals, who were arrested during events on 26.–28. April, had a previous criminal record [http://www.etv24.ee/index.php?0574636 Riigiprokuratuur: enamikku vahistatutest on varem karistatud] ] [ [http://www.postimees.ee/080507/esileht/siseuudised/viimased_sundmused/259481.php Enamik aprilli lõpu mürglis vahistatutest on varem karistatud] ] . Among their previous crimes are 45 drug-related violations, 91 larcenies and 18 robberies .

The pillager trials

On June 27, 2007, the media reported of the first batch of trials involving the prosecutors requesting non-suspended sentences. [Postimees June 27, 2007: [http://postimees.ee/270607/esileht/krimi/267676.php Massirahutuste telekangelasi ähvardab reaalne vangistus] et icon] Jevgeni Kazakov, 21, who was infamously pictured as the gleeful looter clutching a half-liter bottle of Sprite, a pack of Orbit chewing gum and two packs of Libresse female sanitary pads, was convicted through the "negotiation procedure" (comparable to plea bargain of common law legal systems) on June 27, 2007 and sentenced to one year in prison, with two months to be served immediately and the rest suspended for 18 months. [Postimees June 28, 2007: [http://postimees.ee/280607/esileht/krimi/268931.php Kohus saatis pronksööl rüüstamas käinud koka vangi] et icon]

On June 26, 2007, the media reported that Artur Kivik, 19, was sentenced to 2 month "shock incarceration". Sven Anniko, 18, was sentenced to one year in prison suspended for 3 years. Raido, 20, had been convicted and have to pay fine of 2000 EEK. Both Sven and Raido participated in looting of Hugo Boss store and stole some wine from convenience store. [rus.delfi.ee June 26, 2007: [http://rus.delfi.ee/archive/article.php?id=16276209&categoryID=309647&ndate=1182805200 Оправданы трое участников беспорядков в Таллинне] ru icon]

Another accused looter, one 23-year-old Jevgeni (last name not published), reached an agreement of conviction and sentence of immediate one-year imprisonment with the prosecutor, but withdrew from it in front of judge.Postimees July 3, 2007: [http://postimees.ee/030707/esileht/krimi/270100.php Pronksöö rüüstamistes süüdistatav loobus kokkuleppest] et icon] He had a suspended four-year imprisonment from an earlier conviction; this agreed conviction would have brought him a total of five years immediate real imprisonment. According to the Estonian laws regarding criminal proceedings, his case will now be reviewed by the prosecutor and investigators, and will likely go to a full trial afterwards.

A vandal, Sergei Dolgov, who has no Estonian citizenship but had been convicted before, was convicted in the felony of "violation of public order during rioting", over throwing rocks at policemen and vandalising lawn in front of Estonian National Library. He was sentenced to one year of imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. [Postimees 27 August 2007: [http://www.postimees.ee/270807/esileht/krimi/279167.php Pronksööl politseinikele vastu hakanud mees sai tingimisi karistuse] ]

As of August 2007, the harshest sentence has been that of Vjatšeslav Zjunin, who was sentenced to a year of real imprisonment for looting and had an outstanding suspended sentence from an earlier conviction. Most vandals and looters have been sentenced to community service or relatively small fines, however. [Postimees 22 August 2007: [http://www.postimees.ee/230807/esileht/siseuudised/278189.php Aprillivandaalid saavad leebeid karistusi] by Risto Berendson]

Activists' Trial

Four Nochnoy Dozor activists have gone on trial in Estonia in January 2008, charged with fomenting unrest during the removal of a Bronze Soldier war memorial. Dmitry Linter, Maxim Reva, Mark Siryk and Dmitry Klensky could face up to five years in prison. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7187437.stm Estonia trial of Russia activists] ]

Consequences of Schengen treaty

In December 2007, Estonia became a party to the Schengen treaty. As a result, people banned from entering Estonia have also been banned from entry into the whole Schengen space. Several Nashi activists deported from Estonia for visa violation (participation in the "memory guard" nonviolent pickets) before it became part of Schengen have been unable to gain entry into other Schengen countries ( [http://www.postimees.ee/090108/esileht/siseuudised/305046.php] , [http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/415549] ). Estonia allegedly also used it's membership to deny entry to Nashi activists not involved in protests in Estonia [http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1201624323.7/ Pro-Kremlin activists protest Schengen 'blacklist'] ] . A Lithuanian court has convicted another similarly blacklisted activist of illegal border crossing, sentenced him to 30 days of arrest, and confiscated his night sight equipment and large amounts of cash as contraband. [http://www.sloleht.ee/index.aspx?id=262799]

Some Nashi activists picketed the European Commission's Moscow offices on Tuesdaywhat to protest EU travel restrictions. Picket had been called "anti-Estonian" by the Estonian media [http://www.postimees.ee/280108/esileht/valisuudised/308755.php] .

References