Press Release, 8.12.2022

Photo: Mikhail Afanasyev, his wife Yelena and son / Photo from social media

On 6 December, the City Court in Abakan, Khakassia, fined Mikhail Afanasyev, the founder of the Novy Focus media, 450,000 roubles under Article 20.3.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (“incitement of hatred”). Mikhail Afanasyev, a member of the Yabloko party, is the owner, General Director and sole employee of the company. According to the case file, from 2018 to 2021, the legal entity posted a number of articles on its website that were aimed at “inciting enmity and hatred towards representatives of law enforcement agencies”. The court decision will be appealed.

On 17 November, the same court returned back to the to the Public Prosecutor’s Office the materials of the criminal case against Mikhail Afanasyev initiated under the article on “fakes about the army” (Article 207.3 Clause “a” Part 2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The judge overruled the two public prosecutors’ objections in support of the public prosecution. The case was returned to the public prosecutors for re-drafting the charges, as the charges were prepared with errors. The Public Prosecutor’s Office was given a period of one month for this, but it can be extended.

Mikhail Afanasyev, a laureate of the Andrei Sakharov Prize “For Journalism As an Act”, is charged with disseminating false information about the armed forces of the Russian Federation using his official position. The publication on the website of the Novy Focus which said that 11 riot police from Khakassia refused to participate in the so-called “special operation” on the territory of Ukraine got the attention of the law enforcement.

Mikhail Afanasyev pleaded not guilty. He will remain in custody until at least 23 January. Afanasyev has five dependent children. Earlier, we announced a fundraiser for his wife Yelena Afanasyeva, which allowed her to close her debts and help provide for her children.

Despite the fact that the court decision on the fine has not entered into force yet, Yabloko is beginning to collect funds for Mikhail Afanasyev and his family. It will be necessary to pay a fine in the amount of almost half a million roubles within two months after the appeal decision is made. Yabloko asks Russian citizens to help Mikhail Afanasyev to pay this large fine.