In Buryatia, a human rights activist was fined under the article on participation in the activities of an “undesirable” organization for her comment to Dozhd.

The Oktyabrsky Court of Buryatia fined human rights activist Nadezhda Nizovkina five thousand rubles for her comment to Dozhd. She was found guilty under the article on participation in the activities of an “undesirable” organization (20.33 of the Administrative Code), writes Mediazona.

According to the court ruling , Nizovkina commented on Dozhd about the beating of the adopted son of another Buryat human rights activist, Natalya Filonova, in an orphanage. Thus, according to the court, she took part in the activities of an “undesirable” organization. The Prosecutor General's Office recognized the channel as “undesirable” at the end of July 2023.

Mediazona notes that this may be the first fine under this article for a media comment. At least nothing is known about other such protocols, the publication emphasizes.

“I just learned from the news in the media that a case is being conducted against me for speaking on the Dozhd TV channel. This time, the authorities decided to avoid a high-profile trial with listeners and support in the courtroom, as was the case in December. Therefore, it was carried out completely secretly from me. Now I am being persecuted for covering the trial of my client Natalya Filonova, for fulfilling my professional duties as a lawyer, for my fight for the transparency of legal proceedings. These are, of course, steps being taken to further initiate a criminal case,” Nizovkina told Kholod.

In December 2023, Nizovkina was already fined five thousand rubles for participating in the activities of an “undesirable” organization. Then the occasion was her speech at the VII Forum of Free States of Post-Russia, which in Russia was also recognized as “undesirable”. There Nizovkina proposed concluding a separate peace between Buryatia and Ukraine.

In mid-May 2023, a criminal case was opened against Nizovkina for refusing to testify against her own trustee Filonova. However, it was later stopped.

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