CrimeaSOS: the occupation courts issued 409 administrative resolutions on “discrediting the russian army” in Crimea
4 / 09 / 2023
The occupation courts in Crimea issued 409 resolutions on bringing to administrative liability for allegedly discrediting the russian army. This is the result of only a year and a half after the adoption of the respective law by the state duma of the russian federation. CrimeaSOS analyst Yevhenii Yaroshenko told about it.
“For a year and a half, in the occupied Crimea, the “courts” issued 409 resolutions on bringing to administrative liability for allegedly discrediting the russian army and three verdicts in criminal cases for allegedly repeatedly discrediting the russian army”, — says the analyst.
Most resolutions on bringing to administrative liability for allegedly discrediting the russian army (article 20.3.3 of the code of the russian federation on administrative offenses) were issued by the following “courts”:
- “Kyiv District Court of Simferopol” – 62;
- “Yevpatoria City Court” — 37;
- “Feodosia City Court”— 34;
- “Yalta City Court”— 30;
- “Saky District Court”— 28.
These five occupation “courts” issued 47% of all resolutions on bringing to administrative liability under article 20.3.3 of the code of the russian federation on administrative offenses “public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the armed forces of the russian federation for the purpose of protecting the interests of the russian federation and its citizens, maintaining international peace and security…”.
Verdicts in criminal cases on the alleged repeated discrediting of the russian army (article 280.3 of the criminal code of the russian federation) were issued by: “Central District Court of Simferopol”, “Sudak City Court” and “Yalta City Court”.
In addition, in a year and a half, “courts” in Crimea issued two verdicts in criminal cases about alleged “fakes” about the russian army (article 207.3 of the criminal code of the russian federation). This was done by “Alushta City Court” and “Yalta City Court”.
On March 4, 2022, russian MPs adopted amendments to the legislation providing for administrative and criminal liability for “discrediting the armed forces of the russian federation”. This allows prosecuting people for spreading information and expressing a position about full-scale war that differs from the kremlin’s official position.
According to Yevhenii Yaroshenko, the longer the full-scale war lasts, the more people will be dissatisfied with it in the russian federation and in the occupied Crimea, and as a result, the number of cases on “discrediting the russian army” will increase.
We would like to remind you that CrimeaSOS experts have investigated legal proceedings in the occupied Crimea regarding the “discrediting of the russian army” for the period from March to August 2022. The text of the study can be found on the organization’s website.