The Ninth Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Vladivostok approved real sentences for Jehovah's Witnesses from Birobidzhan Alam Aliyev, Valery Kriger, Sergei Shulyarenko and Dmitry Zagulin. This was reported by the portal “Jehovah's Witnesses. Legal situation in Russia". The men were sentenced in December 2022. Then Krieger, Shulyarenko and Aliyev were found guilty of organizing the activities of an “extremist organization” (Part 1 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code).

Correspondent Alexandra Astakhova and another journalist were detained near the special detention center in Sakharovo in New Moscow. Their colleague reported this to OVD-Info. The detainees came to the special detention center to meet SotaVision journalist Antonina Favorskaya, who was supposed to be released today after ten days of arrest under a protocol of disobedience to police officers (Article 19.3 of the Administrative Code).

The court received the case of Kirill Brik, separated into separate proceedings from the “Tyumen case”. The support team for the defendants reported this in a telegram. In September 2023, Brick entered into a pre-trial agreement and confessed, having previously refused the services of a lawyer. The support group suggests that the young man may have been under pressure. After this, Brik’s case was separated into separate proceedings. The “Tyumen case” became known in early September 2022.

On March 25, the Krasnoarmeysky District Court of the Krasnodar Territory ordered environmental activist from the village of Poltavskaya Natalya Garyaeva to pay 250 thousand rubles in the claim of deputy Roman Kovalev for libel. This was reported by the telegram channel “Poltava against the landfill”.

A criminal case was opened against Tomsk resident Sergei Zheleznyakov for repeated discrediting of the Russian Army (Part 1 of Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code) due to the publication of a song and video on VKontakte. This was reported by his lawyer Konstantin Mukhametkaliev. The occasion was the song “We Don’t Need War” by the group “Nogu Svolo” and a video in which Zheleznyakov with a poster “Hug if you are against war” addressed passers-by. During his arrest, he was kneed in the ribs.

In the Rostov region, officers of the FSB and Center “E” detained six members of the religious group “Allya-Ayat” in the case of organizing the activities of an extremist organization (Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code). This was reported by the channel “NO to Extremism!”, associated with the security forces. According to security officials, the group’s activities were coordinated from abroad and they recruited new members.

Security forces in Ufa detained RusNews journalist Olga Komleva in the case of an “extremist community” against Navalny’s supporters. RusNews reports this. Earlier, security forces came to Komleva’s home with a demand to appear for questioning on a certain criminal case, but she was not given a summons.

Deputies from the party “A Just Russia - For Truth” introduced a bill to the State Duma that proposes to ban public associations operating without forming a legal entity. The document was published on the portal of the lower house of parliament. The same project proposes to prohibit foreigners and stateless people from participating in the creation of public associations. Moreover, the text of the document does not imply punishment for the creation of such associations.

The prosecutor's office of the Novosibirsk region approved an indictment in the case of desecration of symbols of military glory of Russia (Part 3 of Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code) against a 21-year-old resident of Tuva. The press service of the department reports this. The criminal case was sent to the Novosibirsk Regional Court for consideration on the merits. The court has not yet registered the materials.

A criminal case was opened against Muscovite Alexander Zakondraev for disseminating military “fakes” based on political hatred (clause “d”, part 2 of article 207.3 of the Criminal Code). He wrote about this on his VKontakte page. According to him, he still has not been able to find out through his lawyer what became the reason for the persecution. “My main publications are here, VKontakte. It seems like I didn’t write anything about the army at all!” he wrote.

At the debate in the 1st Western District Military Court, blogger from Vuktyl (Komi) Nikolai Farafonov was asked to serve six years in a general regime colony because of posts about arson of military registration and enlistment offices. This was reported by the Komiinform news agency. In September 2023, Farafonov was sent to a pre-trial detention center in the case of calls for terrorism on the Internet (Part 2 of Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code).

A criminal case was opened against a 40-year-old resident of Sudak in annexed Crimea for calls for extremism on the Internet (Part 2 of Article 280 of the Criminal Code) because of comments that, according to investigators, contained calls to attack Russian military personnel. TASS reports this with reference to the FSB press service. The person involved in the case is under recognizance not to leave the place.

During the debate, the prosecution asked for eight and a half years in prison for Pussy Riot member and former municipal deputy Lyusa Stein in the case of an anti-war tweet. Mediazona reports this. The prosecutor also asked to ban the activist from administering Internet sites for four years. Together with the sentence in the “sanitary case”, the total term will be eight years, six months and ten days in a general regime colony.

A resident of Essentuki in the Stavropol Territory was detained on suspicion of preparing to set fire to the administrative building of the Russian Ministry of Defense. This was reported by TASS and RIA Novosti , and the Caucasian Knot drew attention to the publication. According to the FSB, in February 2023, the detainee contacted a representative of the Freedom of Russia Legion. Later, the man, on instructions from the Legion, allegedly bought components for an incendiary mixture.

The investigative department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Ryazan region reported on the transfer to court of a case on the rehabilitation of Nazism. The SOVA Research Center drew attention to the message.