‘Kids should not play adult games’: Khabarovsk Children’s rights commissioner asks Russians not to bring youngsters to protests

The children's rights commissioner in Russia's far eastern Khabarovsk Region has called on parents not to take their children to political rallies. She believes the marches pose "psychological danger" to kids.

As the city Victoria Tregubenko explained that taking a child to an unauthorized march could be interpreted by law as "improper performance of parental duties," as exposing children to "protest moods" may have negative consequences for a "child's psyche."

"Such consequences can manifest themselves years later. At the very least, the child's perception of life may be distorted. Children should not play adult games," she said.

Tregubenko also noted that children could be infected by Covid-19.

"It is not fully known how the disease affects a child's body because the virus is only just being studied. Therefore, we must try to avoid the disease with all our might," the ombudsperson explained. "Because of this, dear parents, do not go to mass public events yourself and do not take your children to them."

Saturday's upcoming march will be the 22nd day-in-a-row of protests in support of former Governor Sergey Furgal. Last weekend, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Khabarovsk in opposition to arrest of the very popular politician, who was arrested on July 9 on suspicion of ordering two successful murders, and a third failed murder, dating back to the 2000s. Many locals of Khabarovsk, which is over 6,000km from the capital, are infuriated that Furgal has been removed by federal powers and will stand trial so far away, in Moscow.

Furgal has been the governor of the Khabarovsk Region since September 2018, when he defeated a candidate from the country's ruling party, United Russia. In 2019, as the local party figurehead, his Liberal Democratic Party won 30 of 36 seats in the regional parliament.

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