In the Altai Republic, the cases against a female deputy and a businessman who opposed the municipal reform have been dropped.

Ulagan District Court in the Altai Republic has dropped administrative cases against district council deputy Ayana Temeeva and local businessman Sanat Tandin. They had faced charges of staging a demonstration without notifying the authorities (Part 2, Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences) following a video statement opposing the municipal reform. The outlet 7×7 reported the decisions.

On 12 August, the court dropped Tandin’s case, citing the absence of any offence in his actions. The following day, a similar decision was made in Temeeva’s case. Both cases were heard by Judge Tatyana Kulikova.

According to lawyer Arzhan Bachishev, the reports against Tandin and Temeeva were drawn up because of a video statement recorded on 10 June after a gathering of residents in the village of Ulagan—a settlement in the Altai Republic—organised by the village administration and held in the local community centre. The lawyer noted that the event was legal and that two deputies of the republican State Assembly, the district head and local deputies were also invited.

After the meeting ended, participants recorded a video message to State Assembly deputies in which they demanded the preservation of a two-tier system of local self-government and urged rejecting the municipal reform. Tandin read out the statement, while Temeeva filmed it on video.

Previously, reports were filed against three residents of the village of Ust-Koksa—another major settlement in the Altai Republic—who had also recorded a video opposing the municipal reform in June. One was warned by the court; it is unknown whether the two other reports were considered.

Despite local residents’ protests, on 24 June, State Assembly deputies approved the municipal reform. Now, activists are trying to get it overturned in court.