Press Release, 27.07.2022

Photo: Vera Zabaluyeva / Photo from Vera Zabaluyeva’s personal archive

On 30 March, the City Court of Ukhta fined Yabloko member Vera Zabaluyeva 60,000 roubles under the Articles on “discrediting the army” (Article 20.3.3 Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) and “insulting the authorities” (Article 20.1 Part 3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses).

On 25 February, Vera Zabaluyeva published a post on her page in the VKontakte social media with a photo of young Russian soldiers, and expressed sympathy for them because they were sent to the so-called “special operation”.

In early March, Vera Zabaluyeva posted an angry comment about the Russian president on social media.

On 25 March, a police officer came to her house with a summons. The next day, Zabaluyeva spent 5.5 hours at the city police station, two administrative protocols were drawn up against her. The Ukhta City Court found Vera Zabaluyeva guilty of both the offenses.

The appeals, which Zabaluyeva prepared after consultations with OVD-Info human rights NGO, were rejected by the Komi Supreme Court on 8 April.

Vera Zabaluyeva must pay both fines totaling 60,000 roubles by 20 September, 2022.

The Yabloko party launched a fundraising campaign asking Russian citizens to help Yabloko members fined under the censorship articles to cover these large fines.

Since the beginning of the so-called “special operation” against Ukraine many Yabloko members have been repressed. As of today, 20 Yabloko members speaking up for peace have been drawn to responsibility under the Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the RF (“discrediting the army”) and other articles of the Code of Administrative Offenses envisaging large fines. They account for 26 fines. A report on “fake news about the army” was drawn up against one member of the party. Two Yabloko members are under investigation as part of a criminal case on “fake news”.

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