August 01, 2024

Fines and Punishment


Fines and Punishment
Save your pennies, don't slander the army. The Russian Life files

A report by Verstka said that the Russian government has earned almost R190 million ($2.2 million) from fining citizens who "discredited" the army.

Since the fines were established, over 2,600 persons have tried to appeal and overturn their fines, but only 4.4% of cases were dismissed.

The discreditation fine first appeared in 2022, in the Code of Administrative Offensives. Since then, it Russians have been fined under the article an estimated 7,000 times. 

In one case, a Kemerovo resident was fined for sitting on a bench while holding a Ukrainian flag, but appealed his charge. A court found that simply holding a flag did not technically count as discrediting the Russian army. 

The majority of fees are dismissed due to errors in police reports and lack of evidence. 

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