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Justice of the Peace Elena Polyanskaya has fined former nurse Sergey Glukhikh from Kamensk-Uralsky, a city in the Urals, 3,000 roubles (about US$33) under the new article concerning the search for extremist materials (Article 13.53 of the Code of Administrative Offences), reports Mediazona.
The 20-year-old from the Urals did not attend the hearing. His defence lawyer told journalists that Glukhikh had to quit his job at the city hospital because he was “hounded” there.
The official report was drawn up because he had searched on Google for information about the “Azov” brigade. Glukhikh made the search on the morning of 24 September, while on the bus to work. The report specifies the exact time and place of the search, but does not state how the authorities obtained this information. Mobile operator T2 insists it did not provide it.
That same day, Glukhikh was detained by FSB officers. While he was still on the bus, he received a call from unknown individuals, who suggested meeting by the hospital where he worked to discuss possible alternative civilian service.
“When he arrived, they put him in a car and took him to the FSB, where they kept him for two hours,” said his lawyer. “They took his phone, downloaded everything from it and let him go without drawing up a report. On 8 October, the FSB grabbed him again and took him to the police, where an IAZ inspector drew up a report against him.”
According to his lawyer, the authorities applied psychological pressure to the nurse.
The case file includes photos of the phone screen showing search history on the “Azov” brigade, the “Russian Volunteer Corps,” UNA-UNSO, and a selfie of Glukhikh with an “Azov” symbol overlaid. The formal grounds for the report were his search in Google Images for “Azov brigade,” as the results display the “Azov” chevron, which is included in the Ministry of Justice’s register of extremist materials.
FSB officer Anton Zamaraev refused to answer most questions in court. He confirmed the lawyer’s statement that Glukhikh had already been “on the FSB’s radar” before the report was drawn up. To other questions he replied: “The forms and methods we use are not disclosed,” “This is our information,” “Details about our working methods are a state secret.” Zamaraev also declined to say how law enforcement learned about the nurse’s search history.
- This summer, a law was adopted introducing fines for deliberately searching for extremist materials online. This article provides for a fine of between 3,000 and 5,000 roubles (roughly US$33–55). OVD-Info has previously explained what specific materials can lead to penalties and how to keep yourself safe.