×
Enjoying ad-free content?
Since July 1, 2024, we have disabled all ads to improve your reading experience.
This commitment costs us $10,000 a month. Your support can help us fill the gap.
Support us
Our journalism is banned in Russia. We need your help to keep providing you with the truth.

Pair Who Threw Tomatos at Dutch Royalty Charged With Hooliganism

Crowds jostle to get a view of the Dutch king and queen arriving to the concert. Stephan Naber

Two Russian nationalists who threw a tomato at visiting Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima at a concert in Moscow have been charged with petty hooliganism and may face 15 days in prison, officials said.

The tomato, thrown from the crowd outside the Moscow Conservatory, missed its target and the royal couple proceeded to walk the red carpet to a concert this weekend celebrating the Russian-Dutch relations, Interfax reported.

A young man and a young woman, members of the Other Russia political movement, shouted "You have Dolmatov's blood on your hands," referring to fellow opposition activist Alexander Dolmatov, who committed suicide in a Dutch deportation center earlier this year after being denied political asylum in the country.

The two tomato throwers have been arrested, charged with petty hooliganism and may face up to 15 days in prison.

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

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 every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more