A court in Vladivostok awarded compensation to a protester for illegal prosecution

The Frunzensky District Court of Vladivostok partially satisfied the claim of Anatoly Chepikov, a participant in the protests in support of Khabarovsk residents, and awarded compensation for illegal administrative liability in the wake of the protests. This was reported by Dmitry Zubarev, a lawyer collaborating with OVD-Info.

Chepikov was persecuted because of three actions: July 18 and 25, as well as August 1, 2020. On September 8, the Leninsky District Court fined a protester 10 thousand rubles because of the action on August 1, and on the same day the court dismissed two administrative cases initiated because of the actions on July 18 and 25. In the appellate instance, the court dismissed the proceedings in the third case, canceling the fine for the action on August 1.

OVD-Info recorded Chepikov’s detailed account of the meetings on September 8:

After the termination of the cases, Chepikov, with the support of lawyer Dmitry Zubarev, went to court to receive compensation, since his actions did not constitute an offense, and because of the security forces, the activist still had to endure detention and litigation. In the lawsuit, Chepikov demanded compensation from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for moral damages for violation of the right to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, the right to freedom and personal integrity, and compensation for the costs of legal assistance.

Chepikov’s defense attorney Zubarev clarified that during the hearing in the Frunzensky District Court, employees of Center “E” were interrogated as witnesses, who, according to the lawyer, gave testimony that did not correspond to reality. In particular, on August 4 and 8, law enforcement officers ambushed Chepikov at his house and, using threats, forced him to go to the department. In court, the same security officials stated that they “offered” the activist to go to the department and “if he refused, no one would have taken him to the department.”

As a result, the court partially agreed with the protester’s arguments and awarded compensation for moral damage in the amount of 30 thousand rubles and 40 thousand rubles in compensation for the services of defense lawyers.

“This is very far from compensation that can be considered fair, so we are determined to bring this case to the ECHR if the amount of compensation awarded is not revised,” noted lawyer Zubarev.

On September 29, the Primorsky Regional Court revised the decision of the court of first instance and awarded Chepikov 30 thousand rubles in compensation for moral damage and 80 thousand rubles in legal costs, as well as 256 rubles in postal expenses. Thus, the court doubled the amount of legal costs.

• Since July 11, 2020, in the Khabarovsk Territory and other regions of the country, rallies have been held in support of the arrested ex-governor Sergei Furgal. Until approximately July 18, the Khabarovsk police made almost no attempt to interfere with the protesters, but later law enforcement officers began to detain the protesters. In the overwhelming majority of cases, they were detained after the protests, including on other days, right at home or at work, after which they were taken to police departments and courts, where they were fined or arrested.