On September 6, the Leninsky District Court of Saransk fined Erzya activist Vitaly Romashkin 13 thousand rubles under the article on cooperation with an “undesirable organization” (Article 20.33 of the Administrative Code) due to participation in the national congress. Information about this is on the court’s website, and the pro-government publication Stolitsa S drew attention to it.
From September 29 to October 1, 2022, Romashkin participated in the “Congress of the Erzya People in Estonia,” which, according to the court, was organized by the “undesirable” organization “Free Idel-Ural.” The court does not refer to the circumstances that would prove the participation of “Free Idel-Ural” in organizing the congress.
Vitaly Romashkin is a native of Saransk, currently living in the USA. According to the publication “Idel.Realii”, Romashkin is a member of the “League of Free Nations” and one of the organizers of the Congress of the Erzya People in 2022. Free Idel-Ural also indicates that Romashkin is a member of the Atian Ezem, the Erzya council of elders.
The Free Idel-Ural movement, which aims to restore the sovereignty of the indigenous peoples of the Urals, was recognized as an “undesirable organization” on February 16, 2022.
- Since 2015, according to Russian legislation , foreign or international organizations that, in the opinion of the authorities, pose a “threat to the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation, the defense capability of the country or the security of the state” can be recognized as “undesirable.” From 2021, organizations that cooperate with already recognized “undesirables” are also recognized as “undesirable.” Such organizations are prohibited from operating in the country, and a number of other restrictions are also imposed on them - for example, they are not allowed to distribute information materials in Russia. The decision on recognition is made by the Prosecutor General's Office in agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As of August 2023, there are more than 100 undesirable organizations on the Ministry of Justice register .
- For participation in the activities of an “undesirable” organization, administrative liability is provided (Article 20.33 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, the maximum penalty is a fine of up to 15 thousand rubles for citizens), and with repeated participation, criminal liability (Part 1 of Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for up to four years). Article 284.1 also applies to financing or organizing the activities of an “undesirable” organization, in which case the punishment can be up to five and six years in prison, respectively.
- Human rights organization Amnesty International called the "undesirable organizations" law a way to "vilify independent NGOs, deprive them of funding and impose harsh penalties on their members." The law, according to human rights activists, is used “to combat dissent and stifle freedom of expression and independent civil society organizations in Russia.” The UN Human Rights Committee recommended that Russia repeal or revise legislation on “undesirable organizations.”