They did not increase the sentence for a resident of Mari El in the case concerning the discrediting of the army and incitement of hatred.

On 4 September, the Yoshkar-Ola City Court closed the case concerning a change of punishment for Mari activist Yuriy Blagodarov. In November last year, he was fined 400,000 roubles (approx. US$4,400) for repeated “discrediting the army” (Article 280.3, Part 1, of the Criminal Code) and “inciting hatred” (Article 282, Part 1, of the Criminal Code). This was reported by journalist Alexey Seregin, and highlighted by the outlet “7×7.”

According to the court judgement, the activist was given 40 months to pay the fine plus a further 66,000 roubles (approx. US$720) to cover legal costs. The bailiff filed a claim in court that Blagodarov was not paying the fine. He is now 30,000 roubles (approx. US$330) in arrears. The activist stated that he cannot pay, even in instalments, as he does not have enough money even for food.

In court, the prosecutor stated that Blagodarov could not be assigned another form of punishment due to health reasons. The court agreed.

As journalist Seregin noted, during the hearing Blagodarov’s blood pressure shot up to 200 mm Hg, he asked the judge to repeat questions and, for many questions, “simply did not understand.”

Blagodarov also presented a conclusion from a psychiatric assessment connected to a new criminal case under the article on “inciting hatred and enmity.” The psychiatrist diagnosed him with “vascular dementia.”

According to Blagodarov’s court-appointed lawyer, Svetlana Borovik, the court will decide today whether to declare the activist legally incapable and cancel the fine he was supposed to pay. The man will undergo treatment from a psychiatrist.

The criminal prosecution of Blagodarov became known in May 2024. He said that the grounds for opening the “discrediting the army” case was a comment he posted online.

“By signing a contract and going to a foreign country to kill, you violate the traditions of our ancestors. Our kártys do not support a fratricidal war to secure (expand the influence of) the Russian nation. Language is respected not through war and territorial expansion, but through cultural exchange, festivals, folklore and so on,” the activist wrote.

He also linked his prosecution to the authorities’ desire to prevent him from standing in elections to the Mari El State Assembly and Yoshkar-Ola City Council.

The prosecution requested a two-and-a-half-year sentence in a penal colony settlement for Blagodarov. He did not admit guilt. In January this year, he was added to Rosfinmonitoring’s list of “terrorists and extremists” under an “extremist” article.

The grounds for the new case was a post addressed to Grigoriy Ivanov, head of the Mari Traditional Religion Organisation “Mari Kumaltysh Community” in the Mari-Teryuk District. Ivanov received a certificate from the republic’s government for his personal contribution to developing Mari spiritual culture. Blagodarov wrote that this carried “a heavy responsibility to resist the Christian clergy, the popes [priests].”

“They are already reaching their tentacles into Mari villages, forcing Mari people to pray to Jesus Christ. By conducting processions through the villages, they sow discord between pagans and dual-faith followers, kindling strife in our 'Rashiia.’ They are instilling Christianity according to the principle ‘Divide and rule,’ sowing enmity among us. Blood may be shed if Cheremis [an exonym for Mari people] go against the dual-faith with axes and rifles. THIS MUST NOT HAPPEN!” the activist wrote.

On 6 September, the Yoshkar-Ola City Court closed the criminal case against Yuriy Blagodarov under the article on “inciting hatred” (Article 282, Part 1, of the Criminal Code), which had been opened in January this year. This was reported yesterday by journalist Alexey Seregin.

The court found the activist not criminally responsible due to vascular dementia. Blagodarov was assigned outpatient psychiatric treatment, but a guardian has not yet been appointed. The activist did not object to the court’s decision.

• In 2023, Blagodarov was fined under the administrative article for “discrediting” (Article 20.3.3, Administrative Offences Code) over a comment on VKontakte in which he condemned the war. The activist was fined 15,000 roubles (approx. US$165).
• At the start of 2024, he was assigned 20 hours of mandatory work under a protocol for “inciting hatred” (Article 20.3.1, Administrative Offences Code). According to the judge, his posts promoted “the exclusivity, superiority or inferiority of people in relation to Mari people who accepted the Christian faith.”