About this case: Nikita Nikolaev is charged with discrediting the Russian Armed Forces (Part 1 of Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation) for attaching an A4 sheet of paper to the car window, on which a pacifist appeal was illustrated.
The case is being heard in the Smolninsky District Court, with Judge Ekaterina Vladimirovna Mezentseva presiding.
Our monitor reports on the hearing that took place on April 19th:
The offender, Nikita Nikolaev, attended the hearing without a legal representative. He does not admit guilt and believes that his actions cannot discredit the Russian Armed Forces.
Nikolaev requests to review his protocol to check for mistakes, particularly concerning the recording of the time of his detention and delivery to the police station. He claims that there were procedural violations, as he was held longer than the prescribed time. Otherwise, he found the situation “comfortable,” as he put it.
After examining the case materials, the judge adjourns to the deliberation room. The judge finds Nikolaev guilty and imposes a fine of 30,000 rubles.
The presiding judge once again avoids discussing the details, prompting our monitor to stop Nikolaev in the hallway to find out what happened.
Nikolaev had attached a sheet of A4 paper with two words written on it to his car window. He had been driving like this for a month and a half until he was stopped by a patrol car.
