Stavropol activist challenges fine imposed for discrediting Russian Army

Mikhail Shevchenko has appealed against the ruling of the court, which had found his post in the social network as discrediting the actions of Russian militaries in Ukraine and imposed a fine of 40,000 roubles on him. The protocol on the violation was drawn up under a template; and no proofs of the discrediting were presented at the trial, Vitaly Zubenko, an advocate, has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 22, 2022, law enforcers searched the house of Mikhail Shevchenko, a farmer living in Ipatovo, and drew up a protocol against him on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces after he had posted a pacifist message in a social network. Shevchenko complained about law enforcers' behaviour during the search. The farmer's phone and computer were taken away, the advocate has added.

On June 24, the Ipatovo District Court of the Stavropol Territory received a complaint from Mikhail Shevchenko, who had been fined by 40,000 roubles for his Facebook* post, a court source told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The complaint (a copy thereof is at the disposal of the "Caucasian Knot") states that there are no proofs in the case file that it was Shevchenko who had created a Facebook* page and administered it, and that he was the only page administrator. There is also no evidence that the post was published by Shevchenko, and that it was done from his seized phone.

The court has question the police inspector in charge for administrative practice, who had drawn up a protocol against Shevchenko. "It was clear that the policeman was completely incompetent of the topic. The protocol was made according to their template," Vitaliy Zubenko has stated.

*On March 21, the Tverskoi Court of Moscow banned the activities of the "Meta" Company (that owns the Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) in Russia in connection with its alleged extremist activities.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 24, 2022 at 05:46 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.