23 February 2023, 16:11
Trial in case against participant in protests against mobilization in Nalchik terminated
A case on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces instituted against Svetlana Semyonova, who participated in protests against mobilization, has been closed by court due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on October 31, 2022, the court found Svetlana Semyonova guilty of violating the procedure for holding events during a rally against mobilization in Nalchik and sentenced her to a fine, but the Supreme Court (SC) of Kabardino-Balkaria cancelled the above decision. Furthermore, after the protest action, a protocol was drawn up against Svetlana Semyonova under the article on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces.
Kabardino-Balkaria became the only region in Northern Caucasus where officials went out to have a dialogue with people who protested against the mobilization. Meanwhile, according to the human rights project “OVD-Info”*, as of October 3, 2022, after the protests, at least 20 protocols were received by the Nalchik court, and the protesters were accused of discrediting the Russian Armed Forces, violating the procedure for holding public events, and failing to obey the police.
The court several times, at the request of the defence, postponed the consideration of the case against Svetlana Semyonova on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces. The defender requested the court to wait until the decision on the case on violation of the rules for holding events would come into force. The advocate explained that both cases were initiated on the same episode, although no one can be held liable twice for the same administrative offense, the Human Rights Protection Centre “Memorial” reports on its Telegram channel.
*Included by the Russian Minister of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 22, 2023 at 08:35 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Source: Caucasian Knot
