The ECHR awarded the editor-in-chief of Kholod and dozens of other Russians compensation for illegal detentions

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) upheld the complaint of Kholod editor-in-chief Taisiya Bekbulatova against the actions of the Russian authorities and awarded her compensation of five thousand euros. The decision was published on the court's website.

On July 13, 2020, Bekbulatova came to the Moscow Lefortovo pre-trial detention center wearing a “Spying // Freedom to Safronov” T-shirt to support the arrested ex-Kommersant special correspondent Ivan Safronov - on that day he was to be charged with “treason.” Several dozen more of Safronov’s former colleagues from Kommersant also came there.

Despite the fact that those gathered did not chant slogans, did not hold posters and did not go out onto the roadway, the police then detained 18 people, including Bekbulatova.

Later, the Kuzminsky District Court fined her 10 thousand rubles for violating the rules for holding mass protests, and the Moscow City Court recognized this decision as legal. The ECHR ruled that Bekbulatova’s rights to freedom and a fair trial were thus violated.

In addition to Bekbulatova, the ECHR awarded compensation in the amount of four to six and a half thousand euros to several dozen more Russians who were detained at protests in different Russian cities between 2017 and 2021, and then sentenced to fines and administrative arrests.

Among them, in particular, is RusNews journalist Maria Ponomarenko, convicted of “fakes” about the army. She was awarded five and a half thousand euros in connection with her arrest at a rally in support of ex-governor of the Khabarovsk Territory Sergei Furgal in Barnaul in August 2020.

six and a half thousand euros The ECHR awarded to former Pussy Riot member Maria Alekhina. The reason was her arrest at various rallies in 2018, 2020 and 2021, as well as her 15-day arrest.

On June 11, 2022, Vladimir Putin signed a law allowing the Russian government not to implement ECHR decisions taken after March 15, 2022, the day Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe. Nevertheless, the ECHR continued to consider complaints about violations by the Russian authorities that occurred before September 14, 2022.

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