Chuvash activist appealed the sentence for reposting to the ECHR

Chuvash RPR-PARNAS activist Dmitry Semenov, who in September 2015 was found guilty of public calls for extremist activities due to the reposting of an interview that included a caricature of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights. Information about this was disseminated by lawyer Damir Gainutdinov, who represents Semenov’s interests in the ECHR.

According to the defense, Semenov’s right to expression, as well as to a fair trial, guaranteed by Articles 10 and 6 of the European Convention, was violated. In addition, Semenov had previously been brought to administrative responsibility for the same repost, and the court in a criminal case thus violated the right not to be tried and punished twice.

On September 17, 2015, the Leninsky District Court of Cheboksary sentenced Semenov to a fine of 150 thousand rubles under the first part of Article 280 of the Criminal Code and, after the verdict, amnestied him, releasing him from the fine and expunging his criminal record. On October 29, the Supreme Court of Chuvashia upheld the verdict.