It would seem, what does the Trotskyists have to do with it?

The court recognized the Sino -year student at the Faculty of Political Science of St. Petersburg State University Artem Pronko guilty of an unauthorized action near the university building

“The penalty of 20 thousand rubles is guilty” - such a decision was made by Judge Elena Khabarova against the student Artem Pronko, whom the prosecutor’s office accused (part 2 of article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation) of organizing the promotion with the sculpture of Count Uvarov by the mannequin of the goddess Minerva and the inscription “Science is dead”. By the way, the image of Minerva as the patroness of science and scientists is the central part of the coat of arms of St. Petersburg State University.

At yesterday's meeting in the Vasileostrovsky district court, Artem Pronko himself did not come that, according to his defense, the student saved the student from possible arrest for 10 days - and in the absence of the accused, the judge sentenced him only to pay a fine of 20 thousand rubles. On the eve of his Telegram channel, Artem warned that he would not appear in court, and asked his subscribers not to come either: “If you plan to go to my court tomorrow, then you don’t have to go.” As a result, the audience in the hall were almost only journalists.

This was the second meeting in the case of Artem Pronko from April 9, when he was detained right in the student audience during a lecture in English. During the detention, the police charged him of participating in the action near the university building, withdrew Artem from the audience and delivered him to the police department. There, a protocol was drawn up on it under Part 2 of Art. 20.2 Administrative Code of the Russian Federation on the holding of an inconsistent campaign on March 24.

The next day, April 10, pronko was brought to court, but the meeting was postponed at the request of Veronika Karagodina, his lawyer. The accusations against Artem were built on the testimony of employees of the Main Directorate for Combating Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (EE Center), who recognized Pronko on the video allegedly recorded on the spot - with the hooking of Minerva on the leg of the sculpture of Count Uvarov. Neither the video, nor the police who identified the student and made a protocol at him, at the first meeting, Artem Pronko categorically rejected his participation in this action, and the judge postponed the meeting on May 5.

Artem Pronko, in the recent past, a participant in the city cell of the Komsomol, is known for his active civil and political position. He led the Social Committee of the Student Council, participated in the city municipal elections, held in St. Petersburg in the fall of 2024. They spent on them a run from the Communist Party of the Communist Party to the MO MOST, but did not reach the elections themselves - he was refused registration. Artyom managed to appeal this decision, but it was still not allowed before the elections.

Installation on the monument to Count Uvarov Mannequin Minerva with a sign “Science Dead”, according to the police, was a mass event, about which its organizers had to notify the police in advance, but did not do this.

An article on the holding of an inconsistent campaign (part 2 of article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation) provides for an arrest of up to 15 days, but Artem Pronko spent only one night from April 9 to 10, in the morning of the 10th, a court was held on the extent of restraint, after which the student was released under the subscription.

Information about the campaign on March 24 appeared on the page of the recently created Telegram channel “Administration Management”. The authors of this resource also claimed that Artem Pronko, who denied his participation in the action with Minerva, was not involved in it.

Between the first and second meetings of the court in the case of Artem Pronko, at the end of April in some media, with reference to RIA Novosti, information appeared that both Pronko himself and a certain unknown group of university students are involved in the “Trotskyist organization”, which is allegedly supported from the UK. On the website of RIA Novosti, a note was published with reference to sources in law enforcement agencies, which reported that in St. Petersburg there has been a certain student group “Workers” in St. Petersburg, which is managed by the Levoradical “Organization of Communists-Internationalists”. And she, according to the sources of RIA Novosti, is part of the International Union, headed by the Trotskyist ideologist Alan Woods from the UK. Artyom Pronko then in his Teltgram channel said that he knows nothing about the existence of the student cell “workers” and has nothing to do with the left-winged “organization of communist-internationalists” and “similar organizations”.

The theme with the “Trotskyists” and “Levoradicals” did not appear in official accusations against Pronko, but after the publication of RIA Novosti about “Trotskyists” in St. Petersburg, another student, Stepan Trofimov, a student of Leti, was detained. He was accused of organizing the same action with Minerva, on the same day the court found him guilty and appointed administrative arrest.

At the second meeting, held on Monday May 5, neither the police who “identified” Pronko, nor the employees of the Center “E”, or the defendant himself appeared again. The lawyer Veronika Karagodina, representing the interests of Artem, presented the court with an extract from the security service protocols of St. Petersburg State University, which fixes the passage of students on registered cards to educational buildings. The extract confirms that 9 minutes before the promotion near the building of the twelve colleges on Mendeleevskaya line, house 2, before the entrance to which the monument to Uvarov stands, Artem Pronko was still in the premises of the faculty of political science located near the Smolny Cathedral, that is, at the other end of the city. Even in a good car, in the absence of traffic lights and traffic jams on the roads, this path can be overcome at best in about 20 minutes. Therefore, he certainly could not participate in the action.

The lawyer introduced the lawyer and the characteristics of her client, compiled by the leadership of the faculty, - Artem Pronko is characterized in them as a responsible, disciplined and interested in study and public life, a student. In accordance with the evidence of his innocence, the lawyer invited the court to terminate the case against her client.

Judge Elena Khabarova was absent in the courtroom for almost forty minutes, and upon returning the sentence announced - guilty, a fine.

“I am, to put it mildly, surprised by the sentence,” Veronika Karagodina told me. - My client, I'm sure, too. We will certainly file an appeal and seek an acquittal. ”