The court increased the compensation for the activist from Kazan whose search was found to be unlawful.

The Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan has increased the compensation awarded to Kazan-based activist Zulfiya Sitdikova, whose apartment search in May 2023 had previously been ruled unlawful. This was reported by the Respublika channel, and Sitdikova herself confirmed the information to OVD-Info.

After being awarded compensation of 40,600 roubles (approx. US$440), the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tatarstan filed an appeal against the decision of the Vakhitovsky district court of Kazan. The law enforcement agency requested that the higher court cancel the compensation in full.

However, the court increased the compensation to 50,800 roubles (approx. US$550). The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation will be required to pay the amount. In the first instance, Zulfiya Sitdikova had requested compensation of 100,000 roubles (approx. US$1,080).

On 16 May 2023, police searched the activist’s home as part of a case on repeat “discreditation of the army” (Article 280.3, Part 1 of the Criminal Code) against Pavel Chumakov, a local resident. On that day, searches were carried out at several activists’ homes around the city (Kazan, a major city on the Volga). Chumakov was prosecuted for comments posted on VKontakte about the bombing of Ukrainian cities, in which he called Putin a maniac and his supporters fascists.

The activist told OVD-Info that she did not even know the accused, there was “not a single piece of evidence” of her involvement, and the case only contained “general wording and information related to Chumakov’s case.” Chumakov was later fined 200,000 roubles (approx. US$2,160) in this case.

There were 10 people in Sitdikova’s home during the search. The operation was led by Ranis Minnegaliev, the deputy head of the Tatarstan Centre for Countering Extremism. The police confiscated all her electronic devices and other personal belongings, even though these were not related to the case. In the summer of 2023, the Supreme Court of Tatarstan ruled that the search was unlawful.

• In May last year, Zulfiya Sitdikova was given a two-year suspended sentence after being found guilty of repeat “discreditation of the army” (Article 280.3, Part 1 of the Criminal Code) and “rehabilitation of Nazism” (Article 354.1, Part 3 of the Criminal Code), because of the “No to War” and “9 waya” posters. In August of the same year, the sentence was upheld.
• In July this year, she was fined 80,000 roubles (approx. US$860) under the article on discrediting the army with calls for unsanctioned protests (Article 20.3.3, Part 2, of the Administrative Code). The activist was allegedly seen photographing a woman picketing in the street with a poster saying “No way forward, it’s time to turn back,” then publishing the photo in an anonymous Telegram channel.