ECtHR awards compensation to Rostov-on-Don activist

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has awarded EUR 5000 in compensation to Ekaterina Vereschagina, an activist from Rostov-on-Don, concluding that Russian authorities had violated her right to the freedom and peaceful assembly by detaining her for 10 days in 2021 after she took part in an action in support of Alexei Navalny*.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 21, 2021, it became known that Ekaterina Vereschagina, an activist from the office of the opposition leader, Alexei Navalny*, had been arrested for 10 days; law enforcers drew up a protocol on her for hooliganism.

The applicant complained that the arrest violated her right to personal freedom and security. The ECtHR concluded that the activist's rights to an impartial trial, freedom and peaceful assembly, as well as the right to review the court's ruling were violated.

*Navalny's offices were recognized as extremist organizations and banned in Russia. Alexei Navalny was a founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation (known as FBK), an NCO that was included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of NCOs performing functions of a foreign agent. The NCO was also recognized by a court as extremist and banned in the territory of Russia.