Press Release, 16.08.2022

Photo: Daniil Hoegman / Photo from social media

On 15 August, the Lazarevsky District Court of Sochi found Daniil Hoegman, Chairman of the Lazarevsky local branch of the Yabloko party and children’s sports coach, guilty of “discrediting the Russian armed forces”. The party activist was fined 30,000 roubles (over 500 Euro).

An administrative protocol against Daniil Hoegman was drawn up by the district police officer of the Lazarevsky district of Sochi for a picture on his personal page on Vkontakte, which depicts a child and the inscription “Children against ***”. The picture was published on the activist’s page before the start of the so-called “special operation”.

The Judge denied Hoegman’s request for a linguistic expertise.

When asked by the Yabloko activist about how he should pay the fine from a small salary of a children’s sports coach and with a four-month-old baby, the judge remained silent.

Daniil should pay off the fine to the state for “discrediting the army” before 15 October.

Yabloko continues its fundraising campaign to help pay fines for the activists affected by censorship.

Residents of Sochi know Daniil Hoeman not only as a children’s sports coach. The land plot of the yacht club, where classes of the sports school are held, is of interest to Viktor Teplyakov, MP of the Legislative Assembly of the Krasnodar Territory from the ruling United Russia party. Together with the parents of the pupils, Daniil has been fighting for the preservation of the yacht club.

Since 24 February, at least 24 activists and supporters of the Yabloko party have been fined for “discrediting the army”, 31 administrative protocols were drawn up on them. Two Yabloko party members are under investigation in criminal cases of “discrediting the army” and “fakes about the army”.

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