Atamanchuk received a new protocol on the discrediting of the army after his arrest.

Police in Sochi have drawn up a new protocol on the discrediting of the Russian army against former State Duma candidate from "Yabloko" Vladimir Atamanchuk. The reason was a campaign leaflet that he distributed to voters on the street.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on September 11, the Krasnodar Regional Court canceled Atamanchuk's registration as a candidate for the Southern single-member district No. 54. On September 20, he was detained outside the district electoral commission and arrested for three days on charges of petty hooliganism and illegal campaigning; on September 23, he was released from the isolation facility in Matsesta.

On the new administrative case, Vladimir Atamanchuk told a correspondent from "Caucasian Knot" on September 24.

"They are not letting up on me. Today I was called to the police, where a protocol on the discrediting of the army was drawn up against me. The reason was my campaign leaflet for peace, which I distributed to voters on the street. The court and administrative arrest were just a delay before this main event," Atamanchuk stated.

According to Atamanchuk, on the morning of September 24, he went to the police in the Lazarevsky district as summoned. The head of the precinct department, Lieutenant Colonel Anatoly Kelin, without explanation or verification, ordered his subordinate, Captain Sergey Gustas, to draw up an administrative protocol against him under part 1 of article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Offenses Code of Russia and to submit it to the court the same day. The article provides for a fine of 30,000 to 50,000 rubles.

When Atamanchuk suggested clarifying whether the information in the protocol was accurate, Gustas reportedly replied, "Why do I need that? I have been given an order!" After that, Atamanchuk was taken from the district department to the police station on Marishev Street, where Gustas, under the supervision of Major Anna Schneider, as Atamanchuk claims, drew up the protocol.

"These two provoked me into a conflict, but understanding this, I just remained silent and said nothing to them and did not engage in discussions," Atamanchuk recounted.

The copy of the protocol he has is not signed by the police chief, it lacks the addresses of the witnesses, and there is no record of the explanation of his procedural rights, while the indicated address is for the magistrate's court, whereas cases under this article are considered by the federal court, Atamanchuk claims. The court has scheduled the hearing for 12:00 Moscow time on September 26.

When Atamanchuk noted in the protocol the lack of explanation of rights, Gustas, according to him, immediately brought in two women who were supposed to confirm the opposite. When Atamanchuk told them that they were participating in forgery and that he would call them to court as witnesses, they, according to him, left. Meanwhile, Schneider stated that in that case, "the Cossacks in the district department will testify to this." Atamanchuk claims he saw people in Cossack uniforms who were indeed writing something in the protocol.

"I was warned that I faced a fine of 30,000 to 50,000 rubles. I replied that I understood: all this is the price for those who dared to exercise their electoral right to choose and be elected," Atamanchuk said.

Lawyer Elena Didenko described the situation with Atamanchuk as further confirmation of persecution not for breaking the law, but for political stance. "This is yet another confirmation that a person will be judged and punished not for an offense and violation of the law, but for their opinion, conviction, and their peaceful electoral program that contradicts the actions of the ruling party," she stated.