News

The Adler District Court of Sochi has imposed a fine of 40,000 roubles on Maria Tikhonina, a participant in the "World Youth Festival" held in Sochi, finding her guilty of discrediting the Russian Army.

Alexander Lyakh, a former deputy head of the tuberculosis hospital under the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service (known as FSIN), and the hospital doctors convicted along with him have demanded to cancel the verdict passed on them under the case of torturing patients.

Under the law adopted by the Russian State Duma, Arsen Melkonyan, who was repeatedly convicted in Volgograd after returning from the special military operation (SMO) zone, has a chance for probation (conditional imprisonment) in case he signs a new contract to go to the SMO.

A court in Nalchik has fined Rameta Lakunova, a local resident, by 30,000 roubles, concluding that the posts she had placed in the messenger discredited Russian militaries.

Krasnodar resident Alexander Somryakov, convicted of spreading fake news about the Russian Army, can challenge the decision to deprive him of Russian citizenship, but the prospects for restoring citizenship are doubtful. If Alexander Somryakov retains his second citizenship, he could be deported after his release, lawyers note.

None of the institutions which received appeals with requests concerning the fate of Seda Suleimanova, who was taken by her relatives to Chechnya, checked the information about the possible murder of the young woman. More than 2000 appeals were forwarded to the Chechen law enforcement bodies, who organized the detention of Seda Suleimanova in Saint Petersburg.

The Taganrog City Court has sentenced Irina Skorovarova, accused of repeatedly discrediting the Russian Army, to 2.5 years and six months of probation (conditional imprisonment).

Mikhail Balabanov, accused of preparing to set fire to the military commissariat (registration and enlistment office) in Nevinnomyssk, had initially paid the hostess of the rented apartment only 3000 roubles; he had no more money, Vyacheslav Savin, his advocate, has stated. However, then he got money from somewhere and paid the rent in full.

The mother of Anna Tsomartova, who disappeared in Dagestan in February, announced a reward of 5 million roubles for anyone who would help bring her daughter back. The woman warned that she would not give up and would continue the search.

Human rights defender Igor Nagavkin has been on a hunger strike for the 13th day in a SIZO (pre-trial prison). He demands to be visited by the Prosecutor of the Volgograd Region, a sister of the arrested human rights defender states.

A court has placed under arrest a resident of Karachay-Cherkessia, who was detained at a polling station for damaging with paint the filled-out ballots at the Russian presidential election.

Vladimir Atamanchuk, an activist from Sochi was released by policemen on the day of his detention after a call from his advocate. They have stated that the detention was a mistake.

Demonstration of maximum support for the incumbent power, characteristic of regions of Northern Caucasus, and especially of Chechnya, where authorities reported almost 99% of votes for Putin, has become a norm for many Russian regions. The election gave local elites a chance to show their loyalty to the Kremlin, analysts believe.

By the order of the son of the head of Chechnya, the servants of republic's the Ministry for Youth Matters are instructed to look for the social network users, whose actions are against the Chechens' culture and mentality in order to properly educate them.

The police has sent to Alexander Somryakov, a Krasnodar resident, sentenced to six years of freedom deprivation for spreading fakes about the Russian Army, a notification about the termination of his Russian citizenship, the human rights project "OVD-Info"* has informed.

The prosecutor has demanded to sentence Irina Skorovarova, a resident of the city of Taganrog, accused of discrediting the Russian Army, to three years in a colony-settlement. This was reported by the human rights project "OVD-Info"* with reference to Sergey Kovalevich, an advocate.

There was practically no independent monitoring at the polling stations, but it appeared to be possible to record more than 160 violations in Southern Russia, noted activists of the “Golos” (Vote) movement*. They questioned both the final numbers of the votes gained by presidential candidates and the turnout data.

The police detained activist Vladimir Atamanchuk in Sochi and demanded from him to follow them to a police department.

A court in Sochi has placed a 62-year-old woman under house arrest until May 15, accusing her of an attempt to spoil ballots with some dye.

The guilt of Khavazh Derbichev, a Malgobek resident, sentenced to 15.5 years within the case of financing terrorism, has not been proven; Khavazh himself and the case witness gave the testimonies obtained by law enforcers under torture, Derbichev's father and his advocate have stated.