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An elderly woman from the Primorsko-Akhtarsky district, Margarita Belykh, was actively criticising the district head, Maksim Bondarenko, in the public group “Overheard in Akhtari.” The official took offence at the following comments:

  • “Our district head lies constantly, lying comes as naturally to him as breathing. The main thing is he believes his own lies—that’s a dangerous symptom. Everyone now knows about the endless promises and fantasies. Doesn’t everybody know about the ‘miracles’ happening around us? It’s frightening. Just like Kushchyovka. It’s genuinely scary. When will the purge in the ranks begin? Then things will really heat up!”;
  • “And what’s so surprising? No one dares point out Maksim’s lawlessness to him, not even the district prosecutor. Abuse of office, among other things. We’ll try every legal means to stop this rogue official. We’re just a step away from Bastrykin.”;
  • “Everything he says is a lie, as easily as he breathes. He was the one overseeing and actively involved in installing sculptures on the embankment. But many don’t realise—could they really have cost 44 million roubles (about US$480,000)?”;
  • “I think M.V. is sleeping peacefully. They sacked the head of the Construction and Maintenance Department so they could pin the blame on him during inspections. That’s the system—he’s unsinkable.”

Because of these comments, Bondarenko filed a lawsuit against the elderly woman, seeking protection of honour and dignity. He demanded that Belykh delete the comments, publish a retraction, and pay him 1,000 roubles (about US$11) in compensation for moral damages. The court upheld this claim.

The outlet 93.ru reports that the court has now ruled on a second claim from the official against the elderly woman—this time for reimbursement of notarial and legal costs, as well as for a linguistic expert’s fee. In total, he demanded 300,000 roubles (about US$3,230).

The court partially upheld this claim and ordered Belykh, whose pension is 30,000 roubles (about US$320), to pay 85,010 roubles (about US$915) in instalments. She must pay the official 1,500 roubles (about US$16) per month until 2030.

“The judge turned out to be decent and fair,” the elderly woman told OVD-Info. “He [Bondarenko] wanted to bleed me for 300,000 roubles, but it didn’t work.”

Belykh says she will not appeal the decision, as she cannot afford further expenses:

“I don’t have that kind of money to pay for trips to the courts in Krasnodar [a large city in southern Russia] and all the various state fees. The boomerang effect has not been cancelled. It’ll catch up with him eventually.”