Press Release, 7.07.2025

Photo: Zulfiya Sitdikova during one of her arrests / Photo from social networks

The Vakhitovsky District Court in Kazan imposed a large fine of 80,000 roubles on Yabloko supporter in Tatarstan Zulfiya Sitdikova for “discrediting the army”. According to the court, Zulfiya Sitdikova allegedly photographed a man with a poster “There is no way, it’s time to turn away” on the street in Kazan and posted it on an anonymous Telegram channel, thereby “discrediting” the Russian army. The Judge issued a decision on the fine, without regarding any evidence of Zulfiya Sitdikova’s involvement in the case. Paying the fine of 80,000 roubles for Zulfiya, a civil activist and a disabled person of the third group, is impossible without the help of caring Russian citizens.

This is not Zulfiya Sitdikova’s first encounter with the repressive machine. The civil activist was given a suspended sentence of two years under the Criminal Code articles on “rehabilitation of Nazism” (Article 354.1 Part 3 of the Criminal Code) and “discrediting the army” (Article 280.3 Part 1 of the Criminal Code) for the posters “9th waя” and “No *****” with which she took to the streets of Kazan. Previously, she was fined under the article of administrative violation – on “discrediting” – for a pacifist inscription at the concert of Oleg Gazmanov (a singer standing on the government’s positions). In the spring of 2024, Sitdikova served ten days of administrative arrest for photographing a memorial event in memory of the murdered opposition politician Boris Nemtsov. Sitdikova’s home was searched three times – in cases of “discrediting” and “justifying terrorism” – one of the searches was found unlawful by the court. The civil activist was repeatedly detained and given warnings about the inadmissibility of “illegal actions”.

Zulfeya Sitdikova managed to raise 57,000  thousand out of the 80,000 fine, and we ask Russian citizens for help to our colleague to pay off the debt.