The organizer of a rally in Tolyatti is being held accountable for publications on social networks

On the page of Sergei Ionov, they found a video of Navalny's supporters and a picture with Nazi symbols.

On June 9, 2017, it became known that an administrative case was initiated against Sergei Ionov, a Togliatti resident, an assistant to the deputy of the city Duma from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Matvey Semin, about publications on the VKontakte social network.

According to Ionov, he did not receive a copy of the protocol, but believes that they intend to hold him accountable for publishing the banned video of Alexei Navalny's supporters "Let's Remind Crooks and Thieves of their Manifesto-2002" under Art. 20.29 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (mass distribution of extremist materials) and for posting an image of a Mercedes with a prohibited symbol under Art. 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (public display of Nazi symbols).

Ionov is sure that he was prosecuted because he became the organizer of an anti-corruption rally to be held on June 12.

The content of the video "Let's Remind Crooks and Thieves of their Manifesto-2002" is reduced to listing a number of United Russia's unfulfilled election promises from the 2002 party manifesto and an appeal to vote for any party except United Russia. We consider the prohibition of this video and numerous cases of persecution for its distribution unlawful. We add that since March 2017, when the views counter was turned on on the VKontakte social network, this video on Ionov’s page was viewed only once.

We do not consider it lawful to bring to justice for demonstrating Nazi symbols without the purpose of propagating the corresponding ideology. Unfortunately, Russian law allows any display of Nazi symbols to be punished, regardless of the context.

Sources

• An administrative case was opened against a Togliatti resident for a six-year-old repost // News163.ru. 2017. June 9.