Support The Moscow Times!

72-year-old Woman Fined for Protesting Corruption in Russia

Turana Varzhabetyan Publicverdict / Youtube

A 72-year-old woman has been slapped with a fine for attending a mass anti-corruption protest last year.

Moscow’s Tverskoy Court ruled to fine Turana Varzhabetyan 10,000 rubles ($175) for violating picketing rules during opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s unsanctioned March 26 anti-corruption protest, the Public Verdict human rights organization reported on Monday.

“The judge was not fazed by the fact that even police witnesses stated that Varzhabetyan was standing alone at first, and only then another picketer approached and stood next to her,” Public Verdict lawyer Alexei Laptev said.

“Thus, it was he who violated the minimum distance between picketers of 50 meters, and not her,” he added.

Police reportedly dislocated the pensioner’s arm while they were detaining her at the protest in March.

The European Court of Human Rights is considering two of the pensioner’s complaints over police violence during the protests on March 26, 2017, and rallies against President Vladimir Putin’s 2012 inauguration on Bolotnaya Square in Moscow, according to Public Verdict.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more