Volgograd resident fined heavily for discrediting army

Ruslan Narushev, a resident of Volgograd, has been fined by 85,000 roubles for placing two banners, the inscriptions on which the court treated as discrediting Russian militaries. The man refused to plead guilty.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that administrative responsibility for discrediting the Russian Armed Forces was introduced on March 4, 2022. In November, Oleg Bogachkin, a resident of the city of Volzhsky, was found guilty under this article and fined by 50,000 roubles.

On October 6, the Tsentralny District Court of Volgograd has fined Ruslan Narushev for placing two banners. He hung on the bridge "a banner with an inscription discrediting the use of the Russian Armed Forces." Also on November 14, in front of the house from the side of the "Mamaev Kurgan" Memorial Complex, Narushev installed a banner, the inscription on which was also recognized by the court as discrediting the Russian Army, the joint press service of the courts of the Volgograd Region has informed.

"The man refused to plead guilty; he asked to stop the proceedings on his case. He did not deny the fact of hanging the banners, but he believed that there was no offense in his actions," the above press service has explained in its Telegram channel.

The main danger of the new article is that a repeated violation committed within a year implies already criminal prosecution, the advocates have pointed out.