Moscow MP Vitaly Tretyukhin was fined for the Smart Voting logo

District deputy Pechatniki brought to justice under Art. 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. If the court decision comes into force, he will not be able to participate in the elections for a year.

On July 4, 2022, the Kuzminsky District Court of Moscow fined Vitaly Tretyukhin, a municipal deputy of the Pechatniki district, one and a half thousand rubles under Part 1 of Art. 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (propaganda or demonstration of symbols of extremist organizations).

The reason was a post on VKontakte made by Tretyukhin two years ago and containing an image of a red exclamation mark on a white background in a blue frame, that is, the logo of the Smart Voting project. Tretyukhin is going to appeal the fine.

The decision to ban Navalny's headquarters, the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and the Citizens' Rights Protection Foundation (FZPG) entered into force on August 4, 2021. In our opinion, there were no legal grounds for banning Navalny's organizations as extremist and, accordingly, we consider it unlawful to be persecuted for displaying their symbols. It is also unclear what motivates the attribution of any mention of "Smart Voting" to the attributes or symbols of Navalny's structures.

Note that in recent weeks, protocols under Part 1 of Art. 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses was drawn up in relation to several Muscovites, including municipal deputies and citizens who declared their intention to participate in municipal elections. Recall that the persons prosecuted under Art. 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, are deprived of the right to be elected for a one-year period, counted from the moment the decision on an administrative offense was executed.

Sources

• According to social media.