Two Krasnodar female activists fined for discrediting army

Valeria Gerasimova and Elizaveta Shkarupa from Krasnodar have been fined by 40,000 roubles each for making a pacifist inscription on the asphalt, the "OVD-Info"* outlet has informed.

At trial, the women refused to plead guilty; and their advocates petitioned for a punishment in the form of a warning due to their difficult financial situation, the "Kavkaz.Realii"** project has informed.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 4, 2022, administrative responsibility was introduced for discrediting the Russian Armed Forces, after which residents of Russia, including Kuban (the Krasnodar Territory), began being prosecuted under this article. Thus, on October 11, Darya Sidneva, a resident of Krasnodar, was accused of discrediting the army.

The main danger of the new article is that a repeated violation within a year already implies criminal prosecution, Mikhail Benyash, an advocate, has noted.