In Chuvashia, the case of participation in an “undesirable” organization of an ex-Open Russia activist was dropped

The Leninsky District Court of Cheboksary dismissed the criminal case of former Open Russia activist Yuri Sidorov - he was previously accused of participating in the activities of an “undesirable organization” (Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code). The “Angry Chuvashia” telegram channel writes about this; information about the case and the decision are also published on the court’s website.

The resolution states that Sidorov voluntarily stopped participating in the organization and fully admitted his guilt in the case. The court refers to the note to Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code in the old version of 2015 - according to it, this condition is sufficient to terminate criminal prosecution.

In the note to the article in the new edition, it is necessary not only to cease participation in the organization, but either to “contribute to the suppression of activities” or “to actively contribute to the detection or investigation of a crime.”

The court noted that in the 2015 edition, Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code belonged to the category of serious crimes, and in the current edition - to crimes of moderate gravity. This also influenced the decision to dismiss the case.

In the ruling, the judge also draws attention to the fact that Andrei Pivovarov, the former director of Open Russia, previously publicly said that Sidorov left the organization several years ago. A criminal case was also opened against Pivovarov himself under Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code - in July the politician was sentenced to four years in prison.

According to “Angry Chuvashia”, Sidorov could have made a deal with the investigation. The authors of the channel write that previously the man “became a spoiler for Semyon Kochkin in the 2020 Cheboksary City Duma elections.”

A criminal case was opened against Sidorov because of posts on Facebook about the actions that he carried out. One of them was the transfer of New Year's gifts to local officials: the activist gave them a book about women's health, the novel "1984" by George Orwell, the game "Mafia" and postcards with the symbols of "Open Russia".

In February 2019, because of this action, Sidorov was fined seven thousand rubles, charging him with carrying out the activities of an “undesirable organization” (Article 20.33 of the Administrative Code).

In May 2021, the activist was put on the federal wanted list, and a few days later he was detained and interrogated as a suspect in a case of an “undesirable organization.” He was then released from the police. The fact that Sidorov was charged in the case became known in September.

July 21 Yuri Sidorov got in touch with OVD-Info - he clarified that the case was closed in February 2022. The man denies cooperation with the investigation. Sidorov said that the criminal prosecution began in April 2021; he has been charged three times since September.

At that moment, as the ex-member of Open Russia says, he decided to “leave the political, social and public space” and focus on his own defense in court, without disseminating information about the persecution in the media.

Sidorov added that the case is based on five administrative cases under Article 20.33 of the Administrative Code, two of which were subsequently overturned by the cassation court.

“The length of the trial was influenced by the seven volumes of the criminal case collected by the investigation and the constant failure of prosecution witnesses to appear. Only in February [2022] did I admit my guilt and file a motion to terminate the criminal case under the notes to Article 284.1 as amended in 2015, where in order to terminate the criminal prosecution it is enough to simply leave the organization. The court granted the petition, although the prosecution requested two years of suspended imprisonment,” Sidorov noted.

Added comment by Yuri Sidorov.

• On May 27, 2021, the Open Russia Council announced the liquidation of the organization in order to protect its supporters from criminal prosecution. The decision is related to amendments to the law on “undesirable organizations” (Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code).
• On April 26, 2017, the Prosecutor General's Office recognized a number of organizations associated with Mikhail Khodorkovsky as undesirable. The list includes OR Otkrytaya Rossia, Open Russia Civic Movement, Open Russia and Institute of Modern Russia, Inc, registered in the UK, registered in the USA. Russian authorities believe that the Open Russia movement is related to these legal entities, and therefore is also an undesirable organization in the country.