A court in Russia’s Far East republic of Buryatia acquitted a prominent human rights activist of charges of “discrediting” the military, the independent news outlet People of Baikal reported Thursday.
“This is an absolutely unexpected victory,” activist Nadezhda Nizovkina was quoted as saying. “Being acquitted of charges of discrediting the army is rare not only in Buryatia but anywhere in Russia.”
Law enforcement authorities pressed charges against Nizovkina after she broadcasted a livestream from the central square of Buryatia’s capital Ulan-Ude in October.
According to Nizovkina, the charges were linked to her mentioning the death of anti-Kremlin activist Ildar Dadin, who was killed fighting for Ukraine earlier this year.
An Ulan-Ude court ruled Thursday that Russia’s Federal Security Services (FSB) and the Center for Combatting Extremism violated Nizovkina’s rights by failing to notify her of the date and time when criminal charges were pressed against her and falsely claiming that they could not reach her by phone.
“I was tried before without being notified… but the judges turned a blind eye to it,” Nizovkina told People of Baikal. “The authorities have never admitted their mistakes before.”
She described the acquittal as a “serious step forward in our society.”
Earlier this year, Nizovkina became the first Russian citizen to be fined for appearing in an interview with an “undesirable” news outlet.
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