SECOND SECTION
CASE OF TUGANBAYEV AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA
(Applications nos. 8254/18 and 34 others -
see appended list)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
13 June 2024
This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.
In the case of Tuganbayev and Others v. Russia,
The European Court of Human Rights (Second Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:
Lorraine Schembri Orland, President,
Frédéric Krenc,
Davor Derenčinović, judges,
and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having deliberated in private on 23 May 2024,
Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date:
1. The case originated in applications against Russia lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ("the Convention") on the various dates indicated in the appended table.
2. The Russian Government ("the Government") were given notice of the applications.
THE FACTS
3. The list of applicants and the relevant details of the applications are set out in the appended table.
4. The applicants complained of the disproportionate measures taken against them as organisers or participants of various public assemblies. Some applicants also raised other complaints under the provisions of the Convention.
THE LAW
5. Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single judgment.
6. The Court observes that the facts giving rise to the alleged violations of the Convention occurred prior to 16 September 2022, the date on which the Russian Federation ceased to be a party to the Convention. The Court therefore decides that it has jurisdiction to examine the present applications (see Fedotova and Others v. Russia [GC], nos. 40792/10 and 2 others, §§ 68-73, 17 January 2023).
7. The applicants complained principally of disproportionate measures taken against them as organisers or participants of public assemblies, namely their arrest in relation to the dispersal of these assemblies and their conviction for administrative offences. They relied, expressly or in substance, on Article 11 of the Convention.
8. The Court refers to the principles established in its case-law regarding freedom of assembly (see Kudrevičius and Others v. Lithuania [GC], no. 37553/05, ECHR 2015, with further references) and proportionality of interference with it (see Oya Ataman v. Turkey, no. 74552/01, ECHR 2006-XIV, and Hyde Park and Others v. Moldova, no. 33482/06, 31 March 2009).
9. In the leading cases of Frumkin v. Russia, no. 74568/12, ECHR 2016 (extracts), Navalnyy and Yashin v. Russia, no. 76204/11, 4 December 2014 and Kasparov and Others v. Russia, no. 21613/07, 3 October 2013, the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case.
10. Having examined all the material submitted to it, the Court has not found any fact or argument capable of persuading it to reach a different conclusion as to the admissibility and merits of these complaints. Having regard to its case-law on the subject, the Court considers that in the instant case the interferences with the applicants' freedom of assembly were not "necessary in a democratic society".
11. These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 11 of the Convention.
12. Some applicants submitted other complaints which also raised issues under the Convention, given the relevant well-established case-law of the Court (see appended table). These complaints are not manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 (a) of the Convention, nor are they inadmissible on any other ground. Accordingly, they must be declared admissible.
13. Having examined all the material before it, the Court concludes that these complaints also disclose violations of the Convention in the light of its findings in Butkevich v. Russia, no. 5865/07, §§ 63-65, 13 February 2018, Tsvetkova and Others v. Russia, nos. 54381/08 and 5 others, §§ 115-31, 10 April 2018, and Korneyeva v. Russia, no. 72051/17, §§ 34-36, 8 October 2019, as to various aspects of unlawful deprivation of liberty of organisers or participants of public assemblies; and Karelin v. Russia, no. 926/08, §§ 58-85, 20 September 2016, concerning the absence of a prosecuting party in the proceedings under the Code of Administrative Offences (the CAO).
14. Some applicants raised further additional complaints under Article 6 of the Convention concerning other aspects of fairness of the administrative-offence proceedings. In view of the findings in paragraphs 10 and 13 above, the Court considers that there is no need to deal separately with these remaining complaints.
15. The Court has further examined the rest of the complaints raised by the applicants and considers that, in the light of all the material in its possession and in so far as the matters complained of are within its competence, these complaints either do not meet the admissibility criteria set out in Articles 34 and 35 of the Convention or do not disclose any appearance of a violation of the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Convention or the Protocols thereto. It follows that this part of the applications must be rejected in accordance with Article 35 § 4 of the Convention.
16. Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case-law (see in particular Navalnyy and Others v. Russia [Committee], nos. 25809/17 and 14 others, § 22, 4 October 2022), the Court finds it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table.
FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY,
(a) that the respondent State is to pay the applicants, within three months, the amounts indicated in the appended table, to be converted into the currency of the respondent State at the rate applicable at the date of settlement;
(b) that from the expiry of the above-mentioned three months until settlement simple interest shall be payable on the above amounts at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points.
Done in English, and notified in writing on 13 June 2024, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.
Viktoriya Maradudina Lorraine Schembri Orland
Acting Deputy Registrar President
APPENDIX
List of applications raising complaints under Article 11 of the Convention
(disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies)
Application no. Date of introduction | Applicant's name Year of birth
| Representative's name and location | Name of the public event Location Date | Administrative charges | Penalty | Final domestic decision Court Name Date | Other complaints under well-established case-law | Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant (in euros)[1] | |
05/02/2018
and
18/11/2019 | Arman Askarovich TUGANBAYEV 1998 | Preobrazhenskaya Oksana Vladimirovna Strasbourg;
Memorial Human Rights Centre Moscow | Anti-corruption rally
Moscow
26/03/2017
Opposition rally
Moscow
05/05/2018 | Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 8 of CAO | fine of RUB 15,000
fine of RUB 150,000 | Moscow City Court 14/08/2017
Moscow City Court 18/06/2019
| Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 3 p.m. on 26//03/2017 until 8 a.m. on 27/03/2017, and from 6.30 p.m. on 05/05/2018 until 1.40 p.m. on 06/05/2018;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in both sets of administrative-offence proceedings.
| 6,000
| |
12/03/2018
and
21/01/2019 | Aleksey Nikolayevich YEFREMOV 1974 | Terekhov Konstantin Ilyich Moscow;
Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius | Anti-corruption rally
Vladimir
12/06/2017
Opposition rally
Vladimir
05/05/2018
| Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO | community work for 30 hours
fine of RUB 10,000 | Vladimir Regional Court 27/09/2017
Vladimir Regional Court 06/09/2018
| Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in both sets of administrative-offence proceedings.
| 3,500 | |
03/09/2018
and
10/10/2018 | Sergey Leonidovich GRIVKO 1986 | Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius | Rally in support of A. Navalnyy's candidacy for the 2018 presidential elections
Rostov-on-Don
24/12/2017
Opposition rally
Rostov-on-Don
05/05/2018
Protest against retirement age hike
Rostov-on-Don
09/09/2018
| Article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 8 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 8 of CAO
| fine of RUB 10,000
detention for 6 days
detention for 2 days
| Rostov Regional Court 13/03/2018
Rostov Regional Court 11/05/2018
Rostov Regional Court 26/10/2018
| Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 5.30 p.m. on 05/05/2018 until 10 a.m. on 06/05/2018, and from 3.26 p.m. on 09/09/2018 until 3.30 p.m. on 10/09/2018;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in all sets of administrative-offence proceedings.
| 6,000 | |
10/10/2018 | Aleksandr Vladimirovich SMIRNOV 1990 | Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius | Opposition rally
Yaroslavl
05/05/2018
Political rally
Yaroslavl
20/05/2018
Protest against retirement age hike
Yaroslavl
01/07/2018
Protest against retirement age hike
Yaroslavl
09/09/2018 | Article 20.2 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 8 of CAO | fine of RUB 10,000
fine of RUB 10,000
fine of RUB 10,000
150 hours of community work | Yaroslavl Regional Court 27/08/2018
Yaroslavl Regional Court 06/08/2018
Yaroslavl Regional Court 04/09/2018
Yaroslavl Regional Court 13/11/2018 | Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in all sets of administrative-offence proceedings.
| 4,000 | |
20/12/2018
and
12/08/2021
| Mikhail Vyacheslavovich DOLIYEV 1976 | Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius | Opposition rally
Astrakhan
05/05/2018
Rally "Free Navalnyy"
Astrakhan
23/01/2021
| Article 20.2 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO | fine of RUB 10,000
fine of RUB 10,000
| Astrakhan Regional Court 29/06/2018
Astrakhan Regional Court 26/02/2021
| Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station for compiling an offence report on 05/05/2018 and 23/01/2021;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in both sets of administrative-offence proceedings. | 4,000 | |
21/12/2018 | Anatoliy Grigoryevich NOGOVITSYN 1987 | Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius | Opposition rally
Yakutsk
05/05/2018
Protest against retirement age hike
Yakutsk
09/09/2018 | Article 20.2 § 3 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 8 of CAO | fine of RUB 30,000
detention for 20 days | Supreme Court of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) 28/06/2018
Supreme Court of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) 14/09/2018 | Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in both sets of administrative-offence proceedings.
| 5,000 | |
14/01/2019 | Ivan Denisovich FINOGEYEV 1996 |
| Opposition march
Penza
05/05/2018
Protest against retirement age hike
Penza
09/09/2018 | Article 20.2 § 1 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 8 of CAO | fine of RUB 10,000
detention for 10 days | Penza Regional Court 19/07/2018
Penza Regional Court 06/02/2019 | Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - (1) escorting to the police station for compiling an offence report on 05/05/2018; (2) escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 6.47 p.m. on 13/09/2018 until 2 p.m. on 14/09/2018.
| 5,000 | |
23/01/2019 | Lyudmila Ivanovna FILATOVA 1954 | Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius | Opposition rally
Smolensk
05/05/2018
Protest against retirement age hike
Smolensk
09/09/2018 | Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 8 of CAO | fine of RUB 5,000
community work for 60 hours | Smolensk Regional Court 15/08/2018
Smolensk Regional Court 31/10/2018 | Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings.
| 3,500 | |
22/02/2019
and
13/09/2019 | Artem Aleksandrovich AGEYEV 1995 | Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius
Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Vilnius | Opposition rally
Krasnoyarsk
05/05/2018
Protest against retirement age hike
Krasnoyarsk
09/09/2018 | Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO | fine of RUB 15,000
fine of RUB 10,000
| Krasnoyarsk Regional Court 11/10/2018
Krasnoyarsk Regional Court 21/03/2019 | Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station for compiling an offence report from 3.15 p.m. until 6.05 p.m. on 05/05/2018;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in all sets of administrative-offence proceedings. | 4,000 | |
13/02/2019
and
28/08/2019
| Alina Sergeyevna IVANOVA 1996
| Gayazova Regina Fargatovna Kazan
Zboroshenko Nikolay Sergeyevich Mytishchi | Opposition rally
Moscow
05/05/2018
Political rally
Moscow
13/05/2019
Protest against retirement age hike
Moscow
09/09/2018
Rally to call for fair elections to Mosgorduma
Moscow
27/07/2019
Rally to call for fair elections to Mosgorduma
Moscow
10/08/2019 | Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 8 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO | fine of RUB 15,000
detention for 5 days
fine of RUB 10,000
fine of RUB 15,000
fine of RUB 20,000 | Moscow City Court 20/11/2018
Moscow City Court 30/05/2019
Moscow City Court 28/02/2019
Moscow City Court 18/10/2019
Moscow City Court 22/10/2019
| Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - (1) escorting to and detention at the police station from 9.20 p.m. on 13/05/2019 until 3.05 p.m. on 15/05/2018; (2) escorting to the police station for compiling an offence report on 27/07/2019 and 10/08/2019;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in all sets of administrative-offence proceedings.
| 6,000 | |
25/02/2019
| Andrey Sergeyevich CHVANOV 1976 | Akhtyamova Chulpan Salavatovna Kazan | Protest against retirement age hike
Naberezhnyye Chelny
09/09/2018 | Article 20.2 § 1 of CAO | fine of RUB 15,000 | Supreme Court of the Tatarstan Republic 07/11/2018 | Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - (1) escorting to the police station for compiling an offence report on 09/09/2018; (2) escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 4.05 p.m. on 12/09/2018 until 9.15 a.m. on 13/09/2018;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in all sets of administrative-offence proceedings.
| 4,000 | |
25/02/2019 | Ilmir Rafaelevich SHAKUROV 1986
| Akhtyamova Chulpan Salavatovna Kazan | Protest against retirement age hike
Naberezhnye Chelny
09/09/2018
| Article 20.2 § 1 of CAO
| fine of RUB 10,000
| Supreme Court of the Tatarstan Republic 07/11/2018
| Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station for compiling an offence report from 2.30 p.m. until 6.30 p.m. on 09/09/2018 and from 4.10 p.m. on 12/09/2018 until 2.40 p.m. to 13/09/2018;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings. | 4,000 | |
18/03/2019 | Sergey Aleksandrovich SEMENOV 1988 | Sholokhov Igor Nikolayevich Kazan | Protest against retirement age hike
Omsk
09/09/2018 | Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO | fine of RUB 10,000 | Omsk Regional Court 11/12/2018 | Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station for compiling an offence report on 09/09/2018;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings. | 4,000 | |
25/03/2019 | Irina Evertovna SAYKONEN 1956 | Mezak Ernest Aleksandrovich Saint-Barthélemy d'Anjou | Political rally
St Petersburg
01/05/2018 | Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO | fine of RUB 10,000 | St Petersburg City Court 25/09/2018 | Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station for compiling an offence report from 12.30 p.m. until 9.25 p.m. on 01/05/2018;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in the administrative-offence proceedings. | 4,000 | |
01/04/2019 | Aleksey Anatolyevich FEFELOV 1985 | Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius | Protest against retirement age hike
St Petersburg
09/09/2018 | Article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO | fine of RUB 10,000 | St Petersburg City Court 25/10/2018 | Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station after compiling an offence report from 5 p.m. on 09/09/2018 until 8 a.m. on 10/09/2018;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings. | 4,000 | |
01/04/2019 | Aleksandr Aleksandrovich REMIZOV 1985 | Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius | Protest against retirement age hike
Lipetsk
09/09/2018 | Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO | fine of RUB 10,000 | Lipetsk Regional Court 08/11/2018 | Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings. | 3,500 | |
01/04/2019
and
12/02/2020 | Nikita Igorevich IVANOV 1990 | Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Vilnius
Memorial Human Rights Centre Moscow | Protest against retirement age hike
Krasnoyarsk
09/09/2018
Rally to call for fair elections to Mosgorduma
Moscow
27/07/2019 | Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO | fine of RUB 10,000
fine of RUB 15,000 | Krasnoyarsk Regional Court 17/01/2019
Moscow City Court 28/11/2019 | Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station for compiling an offence report on 27/07/2019;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in all sets of administrative-offence proceedings. | 4,000 | |
02/04/2019 | Ayrat Sergeyevich PANTELEYEV 1991 | Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Vilnius | Opposition rally
Moscow
05/05/2018
Protest against pension reform
Naberezhnye Chelny
18/11/2018 | Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 2 of CAO | fine of RUB 10,000
fine of RUB 20,000 | Moscow City Court 16/11/2018
Supreme Court of the Tatarstan Republic 30/01/2019 | Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station for compiling an offence report on 05/05/2018;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in all sets of administrative-offence proceedings. | 4,000 | |
03/04/2019 | Valentin Sergeyevich YAAKSON 1988 | Sholokhov Igor Nikolayevich Kazan | Protest against retirement age hike
Omsk
09/09/2018 | Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO | fine of RUB 10,000 | Omsk Regional Court 22/01/2019 | Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings. | 3,500 | |
03/04/2019 | Aleksandr Anatolyevich TYULENEV 1984 | Sholokhov Igor Nikolayevich Kazan | Protest against retirement age hike
Omsk
09/09/2018 | Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO | fine of RUB 10,000 | Omsk Regional Court 15/01/2019 | Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings. | 3,500 | |
01/04/2019 | Aleksandr Sergeyevich GOLOVENKO 1971 | Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius | Protest against retirement age hike
Belgorod
09/09/2018 | Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO | community work for 40 hours | Belgorod Regional Court 29/10/2018 | Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station for compiling an offence report on 09/09/2018;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings. | 4,000 | |
01/04/2019 | Artem Alekseyevich KRYLTSOV 1997 | Zhdanov Ivan Yuryevich Vilnius | Protest against retirement age hike
St Petersburg
09/09/2018 | Article 20.2 § 6.1 of CAO | fine of RUB 10,000 | St Petersburg City Court 25/10/2018 | Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to and detention at the police station for compiling an offence report from 12.10 a.m. until 8 a.m. on 10/09/2018;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings. | 4,000 | |
08/04/2019 | Violetta Andreyevna GRUDINA 1990 | Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Vilnius | Protest against retirement age hike
Murmansk
09/09/2018 | Article 20.2 § 8 of CAO | fine of RUB 150,000 | Murmansk Regional Court 21/11/2018 | Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings. | 5,500 | |
14/05/2019 | Vera Aleksandrovna OLEYNIKOVA 2000 | Yelanchik Oleg Aleksandrovich Moscow | Protest against retirement age hike
Moscow
10/09/2018 | Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO | fine of RUB 10,000 | Moscow City Court 14/11/2018 | Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station for compiling an offence report on 10/09/2018;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings. | 4,000 | |
29/05/2019 | Vadim Vladimirovich YERMAKOV 1985 | Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Vilnius | Opposition rally
Smolensk
05/05/2018
Protest against retirement age hike
Smolensk
09/09/2018 | Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 1 of CAO | fine of RUB 10,000
fine of RUB 10,000 | Smolensk Regional Court 16/01/2019
Smolensk Regional Court 06/02/2019 | Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in all sets of administrative-offence proceedings. | 3,500 | |
12/09/2019
and
23/08/2021
| Gerasim Dmitriyevich ARTEMYEV 1987 | Pomazuyev Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Vilnius
Galeyeva Tatyana Olegovna Krasnoyarsk
| Protest against retirement age hike
Krasnoyarsk
09/09/2018
Rally "Free Navalnyy"
Krasnoyarsk
31/01/2021
| Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
Article 20.2 § 8 of CAO
| fine of RUB 15,000
fine of RUB 150,000
| Krasnoyarsk Regional Court 21/03/2019
Krasnoyarsk Regional Court
25/03/2021
| Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station for compiling an offence report on 02/02/2021;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings under Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO.
| 5,500 | |
18/09/2019 | Alena Gennadyevna VODOLAGINA 1978 | Peredruk Aleksandr Dmitriyevich St Petersburg | Political rally
St Petersburg
01/05/2019 | Article 20.2 § 5 of CAO | fine of RUB 10,000 | St Petersburg City Court 28/05/2019 | Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station for compiling an offence report on 01/05/2019;
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings. | 4,000 |
[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.