The court has overturned the fine given to a council member from Altai for meeting with local residents. She had been accused of holding a rally.

On 6 August, the Altai Regional Court dismissed the case against Communist Party (KPRF) regional assembly member Lyudmila Klyushnikova—she had been fined 20,000 rubles (US$220) in June for meeting with residents of a settlement. This was reported by “7×7.”

In February this year, Klyushnikova visited Tokarevo—a settlement that is part of the city of Novoaltaysk, a city in southern Siberia. Local residents complained to the council member that they could not get to the city centre. According to them, the bus routes “were not operating according to the established schedule” and weekend services had been cancelled.

According to the Communist Party, the transport operator, Andrey Korol, responsible for those routes, reported Lyudmila Klyushnikova to the police. At the start of the summer, the court fined the council member, finding her guilty of organising a rally without submitting the required notification (Part 2, Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences).

According to the court, before the start of the meeting with residents, the Communist Party member “called on citizens via a messaging app to take part in a public event at the specified time and [specified] place.” Therefore, the court argued, she “organised a public event.” The defence’s arguments that there was no evidence of an administrative offence were deemed by the court to be “unsubstantiated.”

However, in August, the regional court overturned Klyushnikova’s fine and dropped the case against her. The court explained there was no evidence of an offence in the council member’s actions.