Municipal lawyer arrested for displaying extremist symbols

Maya Baidakova, who intended to take part in the elections, was brought to justice under Art. 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.

On July 8, 2022, the Tagansky District Court of Moscow arrested for 10 days under Part 1 of Art. 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (public demonstration of the symbols of an extremist organization) Maya Baidakova, lawyer of the apparatus of the council of deputies of the Yakimanka municipal district.

Baydakova was detained on 7 July. The reason was a post with the symbols of "Smart Voting", published on September 23, 2021.

It should be noted that on the same day, a sticker with the symbols of "Smart Voting" was found on the car of the head of the Yakimanka municipal district, Andrey Morev. He refused to communicate with the police about this, and it is not known whether a protocol will be drawn up against him as well. Morev was also prosecuted under Part 1 of Art. 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (discrediting the armed forces).

The courts consider the symbols of "Smart Voting" the symbols of the banned structures of Alexei Navalny. The decision to ban Navalny’s headquarters, the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and the Citizens’ Rights Protection Foundation (FZPG) was made in June 2021 and entered into force in August. 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.

It should be noted that the conference of the Yabloko party nominated Baidakova to the municipal deputies of the Khamovniki district. 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. In recent weeks, liable under Art. 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses has already attracted a number of Muscovites, including current deputies, district activists and citizens who have declared their intention to participate in municipal elections.

Sources

• Kira Heifetz. The head of the Yakimanka district was detained for the symbols of "Smart Voting" // Kommersant. 2022. 7 July.
• Lawyer Maya Baidakova was arrested for 10 days on charges of displaying extremist symbols // OVD-Info LIVE. 2022. July 8.
• Lawyer of the apparatus of the Council of Deputies of the Yakimanka municipal district // SOTA. Telegram. 2022. July 8.