More than 30,000 people have been found guilty of violating Russian protest law over the past 15 years, according to a study by the independent OVD-Info police-monitoring group.
The study looked at cases involving Article 20.2 of Russia’s Administrative Code, known as the “protest article.” Since 2004, the text of Article 20.2 has grown fourfold, OVD-Info said. Seven more articles, included penalties for unauthorized rallies and for “involving a juvenile,” have been added under Article 20.2.
Between the start of 2004 and the end of 2018, Russian courts heard 49,274 cases on protest-related violations, finding 30,159 of the defendants guilty, the study published Wednesday says. The amount of fines imposed on those found guilty totaled 160,912,688 rubles ($2.5 million).
The minimum fine for first-time violations grew from 1,000 to 10,000 rubles ($15 - $156) between 2004 and 2018, the study says. Punishment for repeat violations now includes fines up to 300,000 rubles ($4,600), compulsory work and administrative arrests between 15 and 30 days. If a repeat violator is found criminally liable, they can be jailed up to five years.
Ekaterina Borovikova, one of the study’s authors, told The Moscow Times that the data indirectly indicates that protest activity is on the rise in Russia.
According to the team’s explainer on how it studied Russia’s protest charges, the research says that suppressing protest activity using Article 20.2 is a widespread tactic used by the authorities and has intensified in recent years. The authors added that if they excluded cases which were sent back to police over lack of evidence, the acquittal rate for Article 20.2 is just 7%.
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.
Remind me later.
