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Another university student in Moscow has been sentenced to 15 days’ arrest for “participating in an unsanctioned event against internet censorship on Bolotnaya Square.” This was reported by the press service of the city’s courts of general jurisdiction.

Alexandra Meshcheryakova was found guilty of disobeying police orders (Part 1, Article 19.3 of the Administrative Offences Code).

Moscow students Maksim Kheifets and Nikita Ulanov, who were sentenced to 15 days' arrest under the charge of disobeying the police, have turned out to be participants in the “Alyi Lebed” (Scarlet Swan) movement. This was reported by Verstka, citing other members of the movement.

Kheifets was listed as one of the organisers in the notification to hold a rally on Sakharov Avenue. He is 18 years old. Ulanov is a volunteer with “Alyi Lebed.”

The court decisions in the cases against Ulanov and Kheifets state that both were arrested for “refusing to show documents” to police officers. “Acted aggressively, waved his hands,” the document says about Kheifets. Participation in the “unsanctioned event against internet blockades on Bolotnaya Square” is not mentioned in the court decisions, although this was initially reported by the court press service.

Two other “Alyi Lebed” participants—Stepan Razin, who submitted the notification for the rally on Bolotnaya Square, and the former organiser of the movement Timofei—managed to leave Russia. The latter had noticed surveillance: the same car had been driving past his home for several days.

In mid-March, more than 1,500 TikTok videos appeared calling on people to protest against internet blockades. The action, scheduled for 29 March, was promoted by the “Alyi Lebed” movement. Nothing was previously known about it.

In Moscow, students Maksim Kheifets and Nikita Ulanov have been sentenced to 15 days' detention for taking part in an 'unauthorised event against internet censorship on Bolotnaya Square'. This was reported by the press service of the city courts of general jurisdiction.

It was not specified which demonstration this referred to. Both young people were charged under the article on disobeying the police (Part 1, Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences).

In mid-March, more than 1,500 TikTok videos appeared calling for protests against internet censorship. The action, scheduled for 29 March, is being promoted by the “Scarlet Swan” movement—reportedly organised by young people aged 14 to 20 (there are suspicions they may be linked to pro-government groups). Coordinators submitted an application for a rally in Moscow, and in parallel the politician Dmitry Kisiev announced actions across Russia. His team submitted notifications in 28 cities across 17 regions in total.

Authorities in Russian cities are refusing to allow these rallies, canceling already approved actions, and also putting pressure on their organisers and participants.

• Police visited Sofia Chepik (19), administrator of the Moscow “Scarlet Swan” chat: they took her from her home, held a “preventive conversation,” and released her with a “warning about the inadmissibility of breaking the law.”
• Main organiser Stepan Razin went to the prosecutor’s office himself to pre-empt action by the security forces (however, a police unit also turned up at his home during this time).
• In Rostov-on-Don, a major city in southern Russia, rally applicant Yevgeny Makovoz was arrested for 10 days. Before this, there was a search at his home during which he was beaten. According to his relatives, the activist suffered a concussion.

Why are protests against internet censorship not allowed in Russian cities? The authorities’ explanations

• Moscow and Moscow region. Mass events are banned due to COVID restrictions.
• Barnaul and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The rally’s aim “violates the principle of legality” because Roskomnadzor is blocking the internet “within the powers granted by law.”
• Kazan. The wording of the aim “allows for arbitrary and ambiguous interpretation.”
• Volgograd. There is a threat of drone attacks.
• Voronezh. There is a threat of terrorist attacks.
• Tomsk. All 15 proposed venues for the action are already booked.
• Vladivostok. The action can only be held at one venue, but it needs repairs.

In some cities, rallies can still be agreed, but with caveats:

In Vladimir, the rally was approved—but only for one hour in the morning. Initially, organisers wanted to protest at ten venues, but the authorities decided to clean them and hold a “patriotic event” there. In Yakutsk, a major city in Siberia, a venue on the outskirts was approved. Authorities also demanded that the rally be moved to Monday and last only one hour. The organiser called this “mockery” and declined.

Earlier today, another young woman was detained at the Lesya Ukrainka monument. An eyewitness told RusNews that during the arrest, she was knocked into a snowdrift.

The young woman told OVD-Info that she has already been released from the Dorogomilovo police station. She said she had left an A4 sheet with the words “No to war” and a flower at the monument. After her detention, she was issued with an administrative offence report for “discrediting the army” (Part 1, Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code). The case will be reviewed by a court tomorrow.

The police at the station questioned her about how much she was paid and forced her to put her phone into airplane mode.

In Moscow, a young man was detained by the monument to Lesya Ukrainka after refusing to show his documents to law enforcement officers for inspection. This was reported by RusNews.

At the same time, SOTAvision writes that police officers checked the man’s documents for several minutes after he laid flowers at the monument, and only then escorted him to a police van.

Several police officers are patrolling the area around the monument and checking passers-by’s identification. The flowers that had been laid at the monument have been removed.

21:25 The young man was released from the Dorogomilovo police station, according to OVD-Info defence lawyer Natalia Tikhonova, who went to assist him.

No protocol was drawn up against him. Police officers also did not confiscate the flowers he had brought to the monument.

In Moscow, a young woman was detained after bringing flowers to the monument to Lesya Ukrainka, reports SOTAvision.

According to witnesses, after she laid the flowers, she was escorted to a police car and taken away.

From early in the morning, Moscow residents have been bringing flowers, notes and yellow-and-blue ribbons to the monument to Lesya Ukrainka. The publication RusNews reported that one of the police officers has been examining the notes left at the monument.

17:53 A police van has arrived at the monument, stopping about 15–20 metres from the plinth, reports SOTAvision.

Police have stopped two more people who came to the monument. It is unclear whether they have been detained.

25 February The Tverskoy District Court in Moscow considered the charges against Taissiya Kurbanaliyeva for “discrediting” the army and disobeying police orders, the press office of the Moscow courts reported.

For the article on “discrediting” the army, she was fined 40,000 rubles (approximately US$430). The reason was the placard reading: “No to war, no to occupation.” For disobeying police orders, she was sentenced to 10 days’ arrest. It is not known what, specifically, the authorities consider constituted “disobedience.”

The Kirovsky District Court in Yaroslavl has sentenced lawyer Andrei Akimov to five days’ administrative arrest. He was detained on 16 February near the monument to victims of political repression at the Leontyevsky cemetery. This was reported by the “Rassvet” party; Akimov is the secretary of its Yaroslavl branch.

The party noted that the lawyer simply left flowers at the monument; he did not bring any posters or chant any slogans. Nevertheless, the court found him guilty of organising an unauthorised gathering (part 2, article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences).

Additionally, an administrative report was drawn up against him for refusing a medical examination (article 6.9 of the Code of Administrative Offences), but that case has not yet been considered by the court.

Earlier, Akimov’s wife told OVD-Info that on 16 February, two other people had also been detained in Yaroslavl, a city north-east of Moscow. She said that one of those detained gave statements claiming the lawyer was the organiser of the gathering, although this does not correspond to the facts.

According to the St Petersburg courts’ press service, the Smolninsky District Court found Denis Dolinov and Alexander Bondarenko guilty of displaying prohibited symbols (Part 1, Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences).

Two reports were filed against Dolinov for inscriptions in the snow. The press service claims that he wrote a slogan of the Ukrainian National Revolutionary Army in the snow—presumably “Glory to Ukraine.” The second report was for writing “Navalny lives.” Dolinov was sentenced to 14 days' arrest for the first inscription and 12 days for the second.

Bondarenko was sentenced to 10 days' arrest for leaving a photo of Navalny on the parapet.

In Volgograd, a major city in southern Russia, on the evening of 16 February, activist Vladimir Telpuk was detained at the monument to victims of political repression, reports Caucasian Knot.

Around 8pm, police detained the activist after he laid flowers at the plinth and took a few photos. At that time, there was no one else at the monument except himself and law enforcement officers.

Telpuk noted that at first he had approached the monument several times without flowers and the police showed no reaction.

The officers first demanded to see his documents.

“They told me I looked like someone they were searching for based on a description and that I needed to go with them to the station. At the 4th police station, they checked my documents and questioned me. They asked where I lived. I replied, in Krasnoarmeysky district. They asked what I was doing in the Central district of the city. I answered briefly,” Telpuk told the publication.

About an hour later he was released from the station without an official report being filed.

Yesterday afternoon, another Volgograd resident was detained at the monument. No report was filed for them either.

Timur Kalimullin told OVD-Info he was detained at the memorial to victims of political repression at about 5 pm. He was taken to Police Station No. 7, where he was questioned and given a formal warning. About three hours later, he was released without any charges. Kalimullin was also detained at last year’s memorial event.

In addition, there are currently eight other people in the same police station who were detained today while laying flowers. This was reported by one of the detainees, who asked to remain anonymous.

22:20 OVD-Info lawyer Maksim Kuznetsov arrived at the station to see the detainees. By that time, six people had been released without any charges. They had been questioned by a Centre “E” officer and given a formal warning.

The lawyer has not yet been allowed to see the two remaining detainees.

22:40 OVD-Info lawyer Maksim Kuznetsov clarified that there had been seven detainees: six were released from the police station with a formal warning, and one woman was released without signing anything. According to Kuznetsov, three of those detained had been at the police station since early morning.

In Moscow, police detained a protester who was holding a vigil for Navalny at the main entrance to VDNKh. They held a placard reading: “Russia will be free! 16.02.2024.” This was reported by “Slovo Zashchite” (“Word to the Defence”).

16:19 An OVD-Info lawyer, Alexey Golenko, went to assist the underage detainee at VDNKh.

19:46 The minor protester was released from the police station serving VDNKh, according to OVD-Info lawyer Alexey Golenko.

No protocol was drawn up for the protester, but one was issued for the teenager’s father, who had come to the station to pick them up. The man was charged with failure to fulfil parental duties (Part 1, Article 5.35 of the Code of Administrative Offences).

It has also come to light that journalist Grigory Potyomkin was detained alongside the protester. He himself reported this to OVD-Info. He was released even earlier. The police did not issue a protocol for him either.

In St Petersburg, police detained a man who photographed a cordoned-off memorial to the victims of political repression, reports RusNews.

Last year, on the anniversary of Navalny’s death, supporters came to this very memorial with flowers. Today, the monument was cordoned off with equipment under the pretext of some sort of works. Because of this, no one is being allowed near the memorial, and police are standing guard nearby.

“The monument has been fenced off, supposedly because work is underway. In reality, it’s obvious to everyone why this is being done. Three police officers are standing around just in case, in case someone still tries to lay flowers,” the man had earlier said.

He was taken to the 76th police station. The police intend to fine him, but under what article is unclear.

17:52 The detained St Petersburg resident was released from the station without a protocol, reports RusNews.

“Even the traffic officer at the station said this is absurd,” he said.

Police considered Noize MC’s song “Svetlaya Polosa” (“Bright Streak”) as discrediting the army, because Ukrainians listen to it during drone attacks, reports “Rotonda.”

St Petersburg police, in the record drawn up against singer Naoko (Diana Loginova), referred to a comment by a Noize MC fan from Ukraine. The fan wrote that they played the track during drone attacks on Kyiv and felt support from the musician.

The protocol states: “Thus, through both the song ‘Svetlaya Polosa’ itself and the comment regarding its release, Alekseyev I.A. is shaping a negative societal view of the Russian Federation’s special military operation.”

This probably refers to a post from last year in which Noize MC shared a message from a fan. The fan wrote: “The track and the visuals give exactly the emotion that is so lacking now—the belief that we will all get through this.”

The detained singer wrote the following in her explanation attached to the record: “I disagree with the contents.”

Currently, the lead singer of Stoptime, Naoko, who performed anti-war songs and tracks by artists labelled as ‘foreign agents’ at street gigs in St Petersburg, is serving a 13-day arrest for organising a mass simultaneous gathering of people in a public place (Art. 20.2.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences). After this, the court is expected to consider two further charges against her for discrediting the army (Part 1, Art. 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). The guitarist and drummer of Stoptime have also received administrative arrests.

The Dzerzhinsky District Court of St Petersburg has fined Yegor Shramko 40,000 rubles (US$440) under the article on “discrediting the army” (part 1 of Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code) because of a solo protest with a placard reading: “No to war with Ukraine.” This was reported by Bumaga, citing the head of the city courts’ press service, Darya Lebedeva.

Shramko was detained on 17 October on Palace Square. For three days following his detention, OVD-Info legal defenders were not allowed to visit him. As a result, they were unable to represent him or defend his interests in court.

Today, around 17:30, Shramko told OVD-Info that he was now at home. He said he had spent nearly three days in various police departments in St Petersburg.

He was first brought to Police Station No. 78. According to Shramko, the officers who arrested him wrote two reports—one for “discrediting the army” and another for violating rules on holding protests (Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code). They also drew up a protocol for “petty hooliganism” (Article 20.1 of the Administrative Code). The activist spent two nights in Station No. 78.

On 19 October, he was then taken to Police Station No. 28. There, he was handed another petty hooliganism protocol, which alleged he was swearing near that police department. Shramko said he was fined 500 rubles (US$5.50). The activist spent another day in Station No. 28.

Today, 20 October, at around 13:00-14:00, he was taken to court in handcuffs. Following examination of the protocol on “discrediting the army,” Shramko was released.

It remains unclear whether a protocol was also drawn up under the protest-related article. One officer at Station No. 78 told him he would be jailed under that article for 10–12 days, while another denied that he was facing such charges.

20 October According to a report from RusNews, after 48 hours had passed since Egor Shramko’s detention, journalists were waiting outside the police station, but the activist never emerged. Police, however, claimed that he had left the station. Since then, Shramko has not contacted either his family or his lawyer and has not been seen online.

For the Friday protest in Palace Square, Shramko was charged with discrediting the army, taking part in an unauthorised public event, and petty hooliganism. Two of these offences can result in arrest. Vladimir Vasilenko, a defender from OVD-Info, went to look for Shramko at the Dzerzhinsky Court.

13:11 The OVD-Info defender, Vladimir Vasilenko, did not find Egor Shramko at the police station, in the temporary detention centre, or at the court

A protocol was drawn up against Andrei Morozov from Volgograd for insulting the state (Part 3 of Article 20.1 of the Administrative Code) and for inciting hatred or enmity (Article 20.3.1 of the Administrative Code) over a meme reading “Russia is fucking awesome, bro.” This was reported by “Ostorozhno, novosti.”

An administrative case was opened on 15 September. The reason was a video featuring a Brazilian football fan shouting “Russia is fucking awesome, bro” to the camera during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Morozov published the video on his VKontakte page.

The court, meanwhile, found no offence in the video and concluded that the phrase “Russia is fucking awesome, bro” does not insult the country or incite hatred. The case was dismissed.

In Perm, a major city in the Urals, the police have detained national-bolshevik activist Yevgeny Korotkov. His associates report this.

Law enforcement officers waited for the young man outside his home. Korotkov was taken to Police Station No. 6. They drew up a protocol against him for disobeying the police (Art. 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences) and held him overnight in the station until his court hearing.

According to Korotkov’s associates, his detention may be linked to the “Choose Your Makhonin” campaign, which national-bolshevik activists held ahead of the recent elections. Korotkov was detained back then as well, but was released without a protocol.

27 September The Leninsky District Court of Perm fined Yevgeny Korotkov two thousand roubles (about US$22) on 25 September under the article on disobeying the police (Art. 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). His associates report this. “The judge relied on fabricated police reports. They state that Yevgeny allegedly resisted arrest and refused to get into the car as instructed by a law enforcement officer. In fact, that is not what happened—Zhenya was grabbed right on the street and put into the car without any introduction,” they wrote.

• A banner with the phrase “Choose Your Makhonin” and pictures of the candidates running in the gubernatorial elections appeared opposite the Perm Legislative Assembly on the morning of 12 September. Dmitry Makhonin is the current governor of Perm Krai and is running as the United Russia party candidate.

The Kaliningrad historical reconstruction centre “Kaup” has been fined 800,000 roubles (US$8,700) under the “LGBT propaganda” law (parts 1 and 3 of Article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offences), reports Mediazona.

The reason was photographs featuring sex toys and women kissing, which appeared on the project’s social media pages. According to the centre’s director, Anastasia Tarasova, the pictures were taken at an 18+ party called “From Dusk Till Dawn,” which was held on Kaup’s premises by an outside organiser.

The centre is known as “Viking Settlement” and hosts re-enactment festivals and the “Night Kaup” shows. In 2023, the pro-government movement “People’s Call” already complained about its events, accusing the project of “promoting occultism and neo-paganism.” Protocols against the centre had previously been drawn up under the same articles, with the materials reviewed by the Zelenograd district court in Kaliningrad region (on the Baltic Sea, westernmost Russia). Kaup has stated that the accusations are absurd and have nothing to do with their activities.

Twin brothers from Tatarstan have been fined a total of 200,000 rubles (approximately US$2,200) under the so-called “LGBT propaganda” law (Part 3, Article 6.21 of the Administrative Code). This was reported by Verstka.

The grounds for the charges, filed by Centre “E” officers, were the brothers’ blog on Instagram. The court claims that they “published posts promoting non-traditional sexual relations with a twin brother.”

The young men’s profile has several thousand followers. They post videos of their training, share stories about life in Russia and travelling abroad.

The court did not specify which particular posts police had found to contain “LGBT propaganda.” At the hearing, the brothers partially admitted guilt, explaining that they “had no intention of promoting non-traditional sexual relations.” The court, however, stated that they said this to avoid punishment for the offence.

A Chechen businessman has been sentenced to 15 days’ detention over a satirical video about migrants, Muscovites and people from the Caucasus, reports Baza.

On 19 September, the Ostankinsky District Court in Moscow found Islam Amerkhanov guilty of inciting hatred (Article 20.3.1 of the Administrative Code).

According to the court’s decision, on 16 September, the Butyrsky Interdistrict Prosecutor’s Office identified a post in the xenophobic Telegram channel ‘Migrants—the unvarnished truth,’ which featured Amerkhanov’s video.

In the recording, he comments that hundreds of taxis in Moscow are idle because, after stricter legislation, many migrants from Central Asia who used to work in the industry have lost their jobs.

“These are all cars that were supposed to be carrying your rich, arrogant arses, Muscovites. But how did it happen that so many cabs are sitting idle? Thanks to the prayers of you Muscovites—I’m not saying Russians, I’m saying specifically Muscovites—every second Asian has ended up blacklisted… And now taxis will get more expensive, because Russians and Muscovites, they don’t want to work. They want to sit and enjoy life just like me,” says Amerkhanov in an ironic tone.

The businessman goes on to predict that migrants from Central Asia in the taxi sector will be replaced by people from the Caucasus regions.

“Moscow is facing the gravest catastrophe of all—the Caucasus people. I’m doing absolutely everything I can to drag as many people from the Caucasus here to Moscow. UFC champions, MMA fighters, wrestlers, track and field athletes—now they’ll be your drivers. Taxi passengers in Moscow will have to be on their best behaviour. You won’t be able to slam the door any more or forget to brush the dirt off your shoes before you get in the car. Having a good time? Well, we’ll handle it,” he says.

The expert who prepared an analysis for the prosecution found linguistic and psychological signs in Amerkhanov’s video of inciting hatred against “people from Central Asia and the Caucasus, in respect of whom suggestions or calls are made to carry out discriminatory actions (refusing taxi rides with drivers whose surnames create suspicion that they are visitors from these regions).” However, in the video, Amerkhanov does not call for refusing rides with taxi drivers from Central Asia or the Caucasus.

The expert also identified signs of demeaning the dignity of Muscovites, “who are attributed negative behavioural traits—such as a disrespectful attitude towards taxi drivers.”

Amerkhanov himself admitted guilt in court, but said the video was a joke and that he did not intend to offend or demean the honour and dignity of Muscovites or Russians. He added that he is himself a Muscovite and “does not tolerate any disrespect for this city or its residents.”

In Moscow, security forces detained the mother of a mobilized soldier who was taking part in a solo protest. This was reported by Paulina Safronova, the wife of another participant in the war in Ukraine, on her Telegram channel.

On the anniversary of the announcement of partial mobilisation, the woman went to the Ministry of Defence with a placard reading: “21.09.22–21.09.25.” Her clothes were torn during the arrest.

18:47 The detained woman’s name is Lidiya; a report was drawn up against her for disobeying the police (Art. 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences), and she was held overnight at the Luzhniki police station until her court hearing. This was reported by ASTRA, citing Paulina Safronova.

22 September The detained protester has been out of contact for a day, reports the Telegram channel “Protection of the Rights of the Mobilized.” Her lawyer has not been allowed in because the duty officer is absent and access is forbidden as a result.

According to the channel, her administrative case has not yet been sent to court.

23 September Lidiya, the mother of the mobilized soldier, was released from the police station after two days—the maximum legal detention period. Paulina Safronova posted a video of her on her channel.

She specified that the court gave the detainee two fines: one for “discrediting the army” (Art. 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences) and one for disobeying police officers (Art. 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). The first fine was 30,000 rubles (about US$320), the second—3,000 rubles (about US$32).

“Let’s say this is my cautionary experience, showing that even lawful things can turn out to be unlawful. But there must be something lawful left! So, ladies, don’t give up!” the mother of the mobilized soldier said.

The Hot Key City Court has fined former city council candidate Tatyana Pleshchakova two thousand roubles (approximately US$22) for disobeying the police (Article 19.3 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offences), reports “7×7.”

On 12 September, a staff member from the mayor’s office in Goryachy Klyuch, a small resort city in southern Russia, told candidates he planned to “work with statements” during the night. Pleshchakova refused to leave the polling station, as members of the election commission remained there after closing.

The head of precinct commission No. 1039, Manana Meshcherkina, called the police. As a result, officers removed the candidate and observers from the site, while commission members stayed behind, and a protocol was drawn up against Pleshchakova.

The Zheleznodorozhny District Court in Krasnoyarsk, a major city in Siberia, fined a local resident one thousand roubles (US$11) because of music saved on their VKontakte page. The news outlet Prospekt Mira drew attention to the court’s ruling, published on the court’s website, reporting on the case.

The authorities’ attention was drawn to the tracks “Jackpot” and “Po Funku” from the album “Injection” by the band Tyazhyolaya Atletika. The cover for “Injection” references the iconic Pink Floyd design: a white beam passing through a prism and refracted into a rainbow. On the “Injection” cover, the prism is replaced by a syringe. The court regarded the rainbow on the cover as LGBT movement symbolism.

In addition, the court ruling states that one of the track titles contained a swastika. This symbol is no longer present in the track names from “Injection” currently available on VKontakte.

A court in Stavropol fined Russian citizen Vitaly Kuznetsov, who lives in the United States, 30,000 roubles (approximately US$330) over Instagram posts and comments about Putin, the singer SHAMAN, and well-known people leaving Russia. This was reported by Verstka.

Kuznetsov was found guilty of “discrediting the Russian army” (under Article 20.3.3, Part 1 of the Administrative Code). The court ruling says he posted a photo of a person “who, by outward appearances, resembles the Russian singer SHAMAN, walking down the street.” Under the photograph, Kuznetsov wrote: No one has ever so brazenly and so openly cosplayed Hitler’s Nazis. Now they’re just outright saying: ‘Yes, we’re Nazis, so what? ’

In addition, the court considered another of Kuznetsov’s comments about harsher laws on “discrediting” the armed forces to be discrediting. “In other words, it’s not the soldiers who kill, rape and rob that are discrediting the Russian army, but the fact that someone says it out loud. Classic,” Kuznetsov commented on an RBC publication. The Stavropol court also included another 15 comments in the charges.

A magistrates’ court in Moscow has fined the manager of the MangaLIB online library, Ivan Kvast, 200,000 rubles (approximately US$2,200) under the article on “promotion of non-traditional sexual relations” among adults (part 3 of article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offences). This was reported by Baza.

The case was prompted by the Japanese comic “The Girl Married to the Snake,” which was available on the platform. The court ruled that the depiction in the manga of a relationship between a human and a mythological creature fell under its definition of “non-traditional.” The judge clarified that this concept covers any sexual relationships that are not those between a man and a woman.

This is not Kvast’s first fine under similar cases. He has previously been fined 400,000 and 600,000 rubles (approximately US$4,300 and US$6,500).

The MangaLIB platform has also been fined as a legal entity: in June, the Tagansky District Court in Moscow fined the service 14 million rubles (around US$150,000) in seven cases. The basis for the fines were mangas which, according to Roskomnadzor, depicted same-sex relationships and scenes of a sexual nature. These included “Banana Fish,” “Reincarnation in the Coliseum,” and “Revolutionary Girl Utena.” After this, the website administration announced the introduction of mandatory moderation of new content, as well as an option to report content.

The Kalininsky District Court in Chelyabinsk has fined Milana Milovanova, a 34-year-old local resident, 40,000 roubles (approx. US$440) over a three-year-old post on VKontakte. This was reported by the “Chelyabinsk of the Future” channel.

The grounds for the fine under the “discrediting” article (Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences) was Milovanova’s post about Mariupol from 1 June 2022. The protocol against her was drawn up on 10 September this year.

“I loved you so much, you were a wonderful city. RIP. What kind of barbarians must you be to destroy such a beautiful city and its people. I am ashamed of Russia, forgive me, my Ukrainian friends, the people did not want this war, it was wanted by one not very good person, forgive us for our ruler, we didn’t choose him…,” read the post by the Chelyabinsk resident.

According to her, the security forces only noticed the post after so long because recently Milovanova’s husband, who had been convicted under an “extremism” article also for comments, was released on parole.

“They are constantly looking for something to pick on, to dig up. My husband was imprisoned for comments, he’s only been out on parole for a month—and then they came for us again. At six in the morning they took us, along with the child, to the police department and kept us there until evening. My husband may still face court for calling police ‘cops’ in a chat, and he could be sent to a penal colony,” the woman says.

The Chelyabinsk resident notes that the fine in her case was issued taking into account a mitigating circumstance—her young daughter.

“I’m on parental leave, my daughter is constantly ill, I can’t go back to work. Two days at nursery—then a month off sick,” added Milana Milovanova.

Nationalist Savva Fedoseyev has been sentenced to 15 days’ arrest over a photo of politician Alexei Navalny, reports “Bumaga.”

As clarified by SOTAvision, the protocol was drawn up because of a photo of Navalny at the Russian March.

The Kirovsky District Court of St Petersburg found Fedoseyev guilty of displaying banned symbols (Art. 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences).

On 18 September, the St Petersburg City Court reduced Savva Fedoseyev’s administrative arrest by two days. This was reported on the activist’s Telegram channel.

A software developer from the Moscow region who sent an anti-war letter to colleagues when leaving his job has been fined under the article on incitement of hatred (Article 20.3.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences), reports Baza.

The publication does not give the man’s real name and refers to him as Yevgeny. On one of his social media pages, the city of Zhukovsky in the Moscow region is listed as his place of residence, OVD-Info found.

Baza writes that until recently, Yevgeny worked as a systems engineer for a company developing infrastructure management software. The company is also known as a Skolkovo resident and is part of the Lanit group of companies.

At the end of June, the man left the company, and before resigning sent an anti-war letter via corporate email, which reached 513 people.

“In the text, Yevgeny stated that he had been fighting the Russian authorities since 2016, does not support the ‘special military operation,’ and ‘is flying off to live in France because he prefers to pay NATO taxes rather than those funding the special operation,’” writes Baza.

The man also wished death upon a colleague who had signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defence.

Soon afterwards, the police launched a review because of this letter and sent it for expert analysis. According to the expert conclusion, the letter was found to have elements inciting hatred towards Russians. Yevgeny was fined by the court (the amount was not specified).

As Baza notes, judging by Yevgeny’s social media pages, he subsequently flew to France.

The banner, which read “Choose Your Makhonin” and showed the faces of the candidates in the gubernatorial elections, appeared opposite the Perm Legislative Assembly on the morning of 12 September. Dmitry Makhonin is the current governor of Perm Krai, running as a candidate from United Russia.

Svetlana Gorkunova, who identifies as a “citizen of the USSR” and is from Novokuznetsk, was fined 5,000 roubles (approximately US$55) for a post stating: “According to the WHO, every natural person living in Russia is INSANE!” The case file on the website of the Kuznetsky District Court was noted by the SOVA research centre.

The elderly woman was found guilty under the article on inciting hatred (Article 20.3.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences). The grounds were a post published on VKontakte by Gorkunova on 10 September 2023. She had reposted material from the page of Anatoly Alipchenkov, another “citizen of the USSR.”

The text contained many ideas typical of “citizens of the USSR” conspiracy theories: questioning the legitimacy of the Russian Federation, claiming individuals recognised as natural persons lack personhood, calling for people to send “declarations of will” about their Soviet citizenship, and encouraging the restoration of Soviet government structures. The author believes that such actions will lead to an end to the “war on the territory of the USSR.”

A linguist who examined the text for expert analysis in March concluded that the material “can undoubtedly elicit hostility or hatred towards” citizens of the Russian Federation among potential readers of the analysed text, and that it contains signs of degrading their dignity.

This material has already led to two other “citizens of the USSR” being held responsible: in June 2024 it was Lyudmila Gavrilina from Ivanovo, and in August 2025 it was Andrey Patlepe, a resident of Novokuznetsk, a major city in Siberia.

In Voronezh Region, an unidentified group assaulted election observer Vasily Potapov. He reported this on his Telegram channel.

“After the polling station closed at 20:35, several masked individuals jumped out of a black car without number plates just outside the station. They hit me in the face and torso with something. After I fell, one of them said: ‘Make sure you’re not here tomorrow! ’ Then they drove off,” he said. Potapov had to call an ambulance after the attack.

Potapov had come to the village of Volya in the Novousmansky District, in Voronezh Region (in south-west Russia, near the Ukrainian border), for the duration of the elections to observe the voting process. He decided to stay in a tent during his assignment. “The whole day passed without any major violations. I had complete mutual understanding with the election commission,” is how he described his first day as an observer.

He also mentioned that another observer had the tyres of their car slashed at one of the polling stations and the window smashed. “The elections are becoming more and more tense,” Potapov remarked.

Telegram has blocked the “Citizen Observer” project bot used to record election violations, the project’s Telegram channel reports.

Volunteers had launched a service where voters could send photos and videos of violations at polling stations. However, before voting even began, the bot became unavailable: the messenger stated that it “violates Telegram’s rules.”

The bot’s developers said they have contacted technical support, but have not yet received a response.

Students from several educational institutions in Perm have reported being forced to vote in the elections, according to Perm 36.6.

According to students, since the beginning of September, many institutions have been requiring them to confirm their participation in voting with a screenshot or a photo.

At the medical college, students were required to provide proof of voting: those who applied for electronic voting were asked to send a screenshot to the group chat, while those planning to vote in person were asked to send a photo from the polling station.

At the College of Entrepreneurship and Service, students were made to register on the Gosuslugi portal and vote through the remote electronic voting system. At the same time, the option of voting in the traditional manner formally remained available.

A student from the Lysva Polytechnic College, in Lysva—a city in Perm Krai, western Russia—said they were pressured about a week ago to register for electronic voting and to report on their voting. They refused and said they would vote in person, but the administration is still demanding photo proof and insists that voting should take place on the first day of the elections.

The pressure is not only on students: staff at the Perm ambulance service are also reporting that their management recommends voting on the first day of the elections.

Mikhail Amosov, a member of the St Petersburg Legislative Assembly, has been fined for displaying banned symbols (Article 20.3 of the Administrative Offences Code) because of two photographs of Alexei Navalny, reports Bumaga.

The Kalininsky District Court fined Amosov 1,500 roubles (about US$16).

The protocol was drawn up following two posts on the deputy’s Telegram channel on the day of Navalny’s death, which featured photographs of the politician, clarifies Mediazona. In one of them, Amosov wrote that Navalny “could have been of use to the country if he were free.”

“I plead guilty. I did not know it was a violation; I had no intent, and I did not want to promote the Anti-Corruption Foundation or Navalny’s headquarters. I wanted to pay respects to Navalny, who I personally knew. Since I knew him personally, I thought it necessary to express my position regarding the death of the person. I did not know it was against the law, and I deeply regret and repent. I learned it was a violation of the law from journalists,” Amosov said at the hearing.

Bumaga notes that once the decision to hold someone liable under Article 20.3 of the Administrative Offences Code enters into legal force, they are barred from participating in elections for a year. On 20 September 2026, elections for the city’s Legislative Assembly and the State Duma will be held in St Petersburg. The decision in the administrative case will take effect in ten days, unless appealed—so in this case, on 21 September. If Amosov does not appeal or does not succeed in having the decision overturned by a higher court, he will not be able to run in the next elections.

The St Petersburg artist Alexei Kiryanov has been declared wanted as someone “evading administrative arrest.” This was reported on his Telegram channel by his lawyer, Dinar Idrisov.

Idrisov wrote that on 9 September, Kiryanov is turning 70: “A much-loved and widely respected artist around the world—now apparently an extremist as well—is likely being sought after not with cake and flowers…” the lawyer added.

Earlier, the Sestroretsk District Court of St Petersburg sentenced Kiryanov to 12 days’ detention due to two posts about Putin on VKontakte. The artist was found guilty under the administrative article on inciting hatred or enmity (Art. 20.3.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences). Kiryanov himself was not present at the hearing. When the lawyer asked how an arrest could be handed down in the defendant’s absence, the judge replied: “We’ll declare him wanted, and hold the lawyer accountable for hiding him.”

An administrative case was opened against him in mid-June over two posts made in 2024.

The first post featured a photograph from the “For Fair Elections” demonstration in February 2012. The photo shows St Petersburg activists dressed as vampires holding a banner reading “Ghouls vote for Putin” against the backdrop of the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood. According to case materials, experts from St Petersburg State University concluded the photo contained elements intended to incite hatred or enmity towards the social group “voters supporting V.V. Putin.”

The second post included a cartoon by artist Alyosha Stupin, “The Expulsion of Shoigu from Paradise,” which features images of Vladimir Putin and Sergei Shoigu. According to the same experts, the cartoon was deemed to incite hatred towards the religious group “Christians,” as well as towards the group “non-Christians.”

Kiryanov is an artist and painter, member of the Union of Artists of St Petersburg and the International Federation of Artists (IFA). According to information on Kiryanov’s official website, he has participated in more than 120 exhibitions in Russia and abroad.

10 September The court did not issue Alexei Kiryanov a decision confirming administrative arrest, and the special detention centre refused to admit the activist. This was reported by RusNews.

At the special detention centre on Zakharyevskaya Street, where Kiryanov arrived voluntarily to serve his sentence, staff said there were no places available. The artist’s lawyer filed complaints, but so far they have gone unanswered.

12 September Artist Alexei Kiryanov has now been admitted to the temporary detention facility in Vyborg, reports RusNews.

On the evening of 11 September, Kiryanov arrived independently at the temporary detention facility in Vyborg, a town in northwest Russia, where he was accepted to serve his administrative detention. Since 9 September, the St Petersburg special detention centre on Zakharyevskaya Street had refused to admit him, citing a lack of space. At the same time, Kiryanov was listed as wanted for “evading sentence enforcement.”

According to lawyer Dinar Idrisov, on the morning of 10 September police proposed that the artist “surrender” and be taken to Vyborg under an official record of administrative detention. Kiryanov refused this option, believing it might confirm the allegation of “evasion.” He insisted on turning himself in voluntarily—he had court documents with him.

Staff at the facility stated: “You have two days left to serve; you already skipped ten.” It is currently unclear how the 12-day detention period will be calculated. Kiryanov has also submitted a court application for early release from detention on medical grounds—a decision on this has not yet been made.

In Ussuriysk, a major city in Russia’s Far East, a teacher at the RZD Lyceum was fined under the article on “discrediting the army” (part 1, article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences) over a school performance for Victory Day featuring the song “Cancel the War.” The court’s decision was highlighted by “Verstka.”

The court considered the case of Dina Anishchik on 3 July. The teacher was fined 30,000 rubles (about US$340).

A protocol was drawn up against Anishchik after police saw a video recording of the performance, which was presented at the “Wonderland—2025” competition (junior schoolchildren took part in it). In the protocol, law enforcement accused the teacher of “using children for the purposes of propagating a pro-Ukrainian position.”

According to the court decision, Anishchik, together with the schoolchildren, prepared a Victory Day performance featuring the song with the lyrics: “Kind, good adults, cancel the war.” The performance also included drawings with the phrase “No to war!” in Russian, English, and Ukrainian.

At trial, the teacher did not admit guilt. She explained that the performance was part of a play, and that a specialist from Vladivostok State University who interpreted it as discreditation of the army did not take the entire production into account.

Anishchik also said that using foreign languages is not prohibited by law: she chose Ukrainian because both Russian and Ukrainian people took part in the Second World War. “The English language is international, and the inscription in English shows that the whole world is against war,” the teacher’s testimony was summarised.

Judge Anastasia Gerasimchuk concluded that the children’s performance “called for an end to the special military operation” and found the woman guilty.

The teacher has appealed the decision issued by the court of first instance.

According to information on the website of the Ussuriysk RZD Lyceum, Anishchik has 35 years’ work experience in her field. She has been employed at the Lyceum since 2001 and has led the Rainbow theatre club for primary school pupils since 2007.

• The song “Cancel the War” was written in 2016, with lyrics by Tatyana Vetrova. The song is regularly performed at children’s competitions.

According to the court, Sidorova published “saved posts” on her VKontakte page that were “aimed at promoting LGBT and non-traditional sexual orientation.” The young woman’s page has now been deleted.

The court described that one image “showed two half-naked men engaging in sexual acts.” On another, there was “a man participating in an LGBT parade” holding a flag of the LGBTQ community.

The third and fourth images were memes. One of them showed a “little sitting person,” according to the court. The character was looking at a computer screen, reading the words: “Straight,” “Gay.” In the fourth segment of a photo divided into squares, the LGBT flag was depicted.

Another meme featured a photo of Putin and Trump lying in bed together. A dialogue took place between them:

—Do you definitely recognise <…>? (most likely referring to Crimea)

—Of course, darling!

In court, Anna Sidorova explained that she had published the “saved posts” when she was a minor. She expressed remorse, stating that she “did not fully realise her actions and their consequences,” and had not deleted the photos because she forgot about them. Sidorova also said she has now removed all “saved posts” from her page.

She was fined under all four protocols. However, the court withheld the fine amount.

Teenagers in Moscow have been charged under the article banning the promotion of non-traditional sexual relations (Article 6.21 of the Administrative Code) because of a kiss in a park, reported the Telegram channel 112, which is associated with law enforcement agencies.

The video of the kiss was previously published by informant Vladislav Pozdnyakov, who wrote that he hoped for “harsh punishment” for the young people.

Today, law enforcement officers came to the home of one of the teenagers. In the footage released from the operation, the parents are shown present during the detention. The young man’s mother burst into tears.

The Verkh-Isetsky District Court found her guilty of “discrediting the army” (Article 20.3.3, Part 1 of the Administrative Code), reported the press service of the Sverdlovsk Region courts.

The lawyer was fined for a post about the war in Ukraine:

“Three years of war… The initial aims were announced as demilitarisation and denazification. The goals have changed, been added to, and flipped multiple times over these three years. But the most terrible thing is the deaths of people! For some, these deaths have become routine news… It is important to remember that this is not normal! We need PEACE!”

On 29 August, police lay in wait for Mangileva at the Sverdlovsk Regional Court—where she was acting as a defence lawyer representing a local activist. Law enforcement officers demanded she go with them to the station to be formally charged. The lawyer refused, as her presence was not required for that procedure.

Mangileva represents activists from Yekaterinburg (a major city in the Urals), and has also defended the local Memorial group in court. In 2023, she ran for the city duma on behalf of Yabloko.