Ilya Azar was fined 60 thousand rubles. The journalist’s anti-war post was recognized as “discrediting” the Russian army

The Khamovniki Court of Moscow fined Novaya Gazeta journalist Ilya Azar in the amount of 60,000 rubles on charges of “discrediting” the Russian army (Part 2 of Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses).

According to Novaya Gazeta. Europe, lawyer Leonid Solovyov, Azar's anti-war post of February 28 became the reason for the administrative case.

According to the court, in the publication, the journalist “commits actions aimed at discrediting the use” of the RF Armed Forces, and also makes “public calls to prevent the use” of the RF Armed Forces “in order to protect the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens, maintain international peace and security.”

• An administrative article about “discrediting” the army appeared in Russian legislation after the invasion of Ukraine began. It provides for fines of up to 150 thousand rubles for individuals and up to a million rubles for legal entities. Then the Criminal Code has an article about "fake" about the army.