Press Release, 10.06.2024

Photo: Ruslan Zinatullin / Photo from social media

On 6 June, the Vakhitovsky District Court of Kazan fined Ruslan Zinatullin, a member of the federal Bureau of Yabloko and Chairman of the regional branch of the party in Tatarstan, 50,000 roubles for “discrediting the army.” The Judge recognised the politician’s status in the WhatsApp messenger where the politician expressed his reluctance to communicate with those who support the special military operation in Ukraine as a violation of Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. The court’s decision will be appealed.

On June 4, an administrative protocol on “discrediting the army” was drawn up against Ruslan Zinatullin. The reason was the information in Zinatullin’s profile in the Whatsapp messenger, where he expressed his reluctance to maintain communication with those who approve of the fighting in Ukraine.

Zinatullin was detained near the party office in Kazan on the evening of 4 June and taken to the police department. On 5 June, a hearing had to take place in the Vakhitovsky District Court of Kazan. However, on 5 June, the Vakhitovsky District Court postponed the hearing on the administrative case against Ruslan Zinatullin to 6 June. On 6 June 6, the Vakhitovsky District Court decided to fine the politician 50,000 roubles for “discrediting the army.”

This case is not the first attempt by authorities to interfere with Zinatullin’s activities. In March 2022, the houses of Zinatullin and two other members of the Kazan Yabloko were searched as part of a criminal case for “inciting mass riots” because of a Telegram post to which all three had nothing to do.

Despite the fact that the politician is preparing an appeal against the decision of the Kazan district court, he asks for help in paying fine: the vast majority of such court decisions remain in force after consideration by higher courts, despite their obvious absurdity.

The Yabloko party is opening a fundraising among Russian citizens to pay a fine and the costs of lawyer’s services for Ruslan Zinatullin. In total, at the moment it is necessary to collect 67.500 roubles: 50.000 roubles to cover the fine and 17.500 roubles to compensate for the work of the defence lawyer in the first instance.

The Yabloko party has been consistently advocating peace between Russia and Ukraine. After the start of the so-called “special military operation,” dozens of Yabloko members across the country were subjected to various types of reprisals and police pressure. Thus, 44 protocols were drawn up against 36 party members and supporters only under the article on “discrediting the army”.

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