Kuban resident fined for posting illustrations to Remarque's novel

The Ust-Labinsky District Court has treated the posting of illustrations to a novel by Remarque in the "Odnoklassniki" social network as propaganda of Nazism and fined Dmitry Batygin, a local resident, by 1000 roubles.

On June 10, the above district court of Kuban (the Krasnodar Territory) fined Dmitry Batygin, finding him guilty of discrediting Russian militaries. According to investigators, Batygin sent messages to the parents of schoolchildren in the WhatsApp* messenger with support for Ukraine and criticism of Russian militaries.

The court fined Dmitry Batygin for posting illustrations to the anti-fascist Remarque's novel in a social network, the "OVD-Info"** human rights project has informed.

Law enforcers have treated the illustration as a symbol of Nazism. Batygin stated that the post and the Remarque's novel itself are anti-fascist; therefore, there is no offense, since the Administrative Code states that they can only be judged for publications that promote Nazism, and do not condemn it, the "Kavkaz.Realii"** project has reported.

The court took into account the defendant's two children and his property status and fined him by 1000 roubles, as follows from the ruling posted in the court's website.

*On March 21, 2022, the Tverskoi Court of Moscow banned the activities in Russia of the Meta Company, owning the Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, in connection with extremist activities.

**Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.