Orel court fined participant of flash mob against corruption

The Sovetsky District Court of Orel fined 10,000 rubles to 18-year-old Tatyana Ivanova, who was detained on March 26 during a flash mob against corruption on Lenin Square. This was reported on June 23 by the Oryol News publication.

Ivanova was detained together with 17-year-old Aleksey G., the court had fined him the day before for the same amount. "In a group of two people" they unfolded the poster "How I worked, I earned it" and held it unfolded for about twenty seconds. When a police officer approached them, they removed the poster. However, the activists were taken to the police station, where a protocol was drawn up against them under Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (participation in an unauthorized picket).

In court, Ivanova explained that the poster asked to be unfolded by “some person” in order to take a picture. Prior to that, only Alexei held him. “Because the edges of it curled up, we took it together. During this time, the police came up and also asked to hold the poster further so that they could take a picture, too, ”Ivanova said. She pleaded not guilty. Police officers who appeared in court as witnesses said they demanded that the young people "stop committing illegal acts, but they did not stop." However, this is not indicated in the detention reports, explains human rights activist Dmitry Krayukhin, who represented the detainees in court.