Press Release, 22.08.2022

Photo: Sergei Smirnov / Photo from social media

On 22 August, the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow found Sergei Smirnov, a member of the Yabloko party and a Yabloko candidate in the Tverskoy district in the Moscow municipal elections, guilty of “discrediting the army” (Article 20.3.3 Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) and violating the rules for holding public events (Article 20.2 Part 5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). The fines amounted to 40,000 and 20,000 roubles respectively.

It should be noted that Sergei Smirnov, a Yabloko candidate for the multi-mandate constituency No. 1 in the Tverskoy district of Moscow, and civil activist Maria Volokh, who had been previously withdrawn from the elections in the same district for far-fetched reasons, held an action in Moscow against political repressions and repressive laws, walking along the central streets of Moscow with their mouths sealed with adhesive tape and with a poster and holding a poster with eight asterisks instead of words. Police drew protocols of administrative offenses against them charging them with “discrediting the armed forces” and “violating the rules for holding public events”.

The Tverskoy District Court had previously made the same decision regarding Maria Volokh, finding her guilty under these articles and fined her 50,000 and 10,000 roubles (60,000 roubles in total, approximately over 1,000 Euro).

Sergei Smirnov and Maria Volokh are going to appeal the court’s decisions on “discrediting the armed forces” and “violating the rules for holding public events”.

Yabloko continues raising funds to pay fines for the activists affected by censorship.

Read more about the persecution of Yabloko members after the start of the “special operation”.