A protocol for misuse of media freedom has been drawn up against an activist from the Altai region, Siberia.

A protocol has been drawn up against Altai activist Aruna Arna for repeated dissemination of knowingly false information of public significance (Part 10, Article 13.15 of the Code of Administrative Offences) due to her reposts about amendments to the regional Constitution. She announced this on her Telegram channel.

The grounds for the administrative offence case were three reposts—on 11, 13, and 15 May. The authors of these texts criticise the amendments to the Constitution of the Altai Republic, arguing that they threaten the integrity and autonomy of the republic as a subject of the federation. They also call on citizens to sign against changing the regional Constitution and to support the resignation of the regional head, Andrey Turchak.

The police refer to the governor’s Telegram channel, where it is stated: “The status of the Republic, as well as the indivisibility of its territory, is not under threat.” According to the Interior Ministry, this proves the information published by Arna is knowingly false.

• Arna has already been prosecuted under the article on misuse of media freedom. In 2023, she was fined 30,000 roubles (about US$330) over a video appeal demanding that no changes be made to the regional Constitution. In 2024, she was charged with a repeated violation of this article and fined 180,000 roubles (about US$2,000). At that time, the protocol was drawn up over a post in which Arna wrote that up to 31 million ballots had been stuffed for Vladimir Putin in the presidential election. The post also included claims that Putin has 10 doppelgängers, and that “the people still do not know what his nationality is.”
• In April, amendments were made to the Constitution of the Altai Republic. Andrey Turchak stated their aim was to align the regional governance system with federal law. The greatest local protests were sparked by the replacement in Article 10 of the regional Constitution of the wording “The territory of the republic is part of the territory of the Russian Federation; it is unified, inalienable, and indivisible” with “The territory of the Altai Republic is unified and indivisible.” Opponents of the amendments fear this could simplify the merger of mountainous Altai with the Altai Krai or the creation of territories within the republic outside the control of the regional authorities.