Anastasia Titova, leader of Kuban branch of "Progress" Party, fined for organizing rally on June 12

In Sochi, a trial was held in the case against Anastasia Titova, the leader of the regional branch of the "Progress" Party. The activist was found guilty of organizing an unsanctioned rally on June 12. The judge initially sentenced Anastasia Titova to five days of imprisonment, but after a while pronounced a new decision to fine the activist by 20,000 roubles, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

At the trial, Police Major David Andreev who drew up a protocol of an offense against Anastasia Titova was questioned as a witness.

He has explained that on June 12, Anastasia Titova organized an unsanctioned rally near the shopping centre "Alexandriya" by creating a group in "Telegram" and calling on people to arrange a march from the shopping centre to the monument to victims of political repressions.

According to the witness, after the posts in the group were read by the police, Anastasia Titova was treated as an organizer of an unsanctioned action. David Andreev said that he saw Anastasia Titova getting off the bus and invited her to go to the police station for Central District to find out the circumstances of the situation and draw up a protocol.

Anastasia Titova herself categorically denies being an organizer of an unauthorized rally or march, since in the group in "Telegram", she did not call on anyone to hold a rally and a march, but offered to walk, which was not prohibited by the law. In turn, the defence tried to find out from David Andreev how he perceived the difference between a march and a walk. David Andreev replied that there was no difference for him and that a march and a walk were equal events for him.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.