In Novgorod Region, an activist who called an investigator a “scoundrel” has been fined 25,000 roubles (US$275).

On 31 July, Pestovsky District Court in Novgorod Region fined activist Andrey Staroverov 25,000 roubles (US$275) for contempt of court (Part 1, Article 297 of the Criminal Code). This was reported by 7×7, citing the activist himself.

The prosecutor had requested that he be sentenced to 460 hours of compulsory labour.

A case was opened against Staroverov in February after, during the interrogation for a previous criminal case, he called Ministry of Internal Affairs investigator Yevgeny Morozov a “scoundrel.”

Morozov had also been listed as the alleged victim in the previous case against the activist. At that time, Staroverov was accused of using violence against an official (Article 318 of the Criminal Code) and obstructing the investigation (Article 294 of the Criminal Code). The case was brought because, during a search, Staroverov refused to hand over his lawyer’s phone to Morozov. When the investigator tried to seize it, the activist hid the phone behind his back. Morozov claimed that the activist struck him in the process. In December 2024, Staroverov was fined 80,000 roubles (US$880) in connection with that case.

Investigator Morozov had also handled an earlier case against Staroverov, this one for alleged defamation (Article 128.1). Staroverov was accused after he posted online about the deputy head of the administration of Pest village, saying “at some point she will have to answer for unlawfully holding office and for participation in genocide.”

• Andrey Staroverov served as a deputy of the Lensovet—Petrosovet from 1990 to 1993. Around 15 years ago, he moved from St Petersburg to the village of Pest in Novgorod Region, north-western Russia, to work on preserving traditional Russian culture. In 2012, Staroverov became head of a folklore and ethnographic ensemble, “Svoyanya,” whose premises officials later attempted to seize. Following the conflict, he was dismissed. Staroverov has also been vocal in support of preserving local self-government and against the merger of schools and kindergartens under the pretext of optimisation.