Astrakhan court fines soldier's mother for discrediting Russian Army

Pacifist statements in the messenger have caused a fine imposed on an Astrakhan woman under the article on discrediting the Russian Army. The court has imposed a minimum fine on her, by treating her son, a military serviceman, as a mitigating circumstance.

The Kirov District Court of Astrakhan has fined Nadezhda Petrova by 15,000 roubles. According to the court, she had posted pacifist comments in the messenger, the human rights project "OVD-Info"* has informed.

With account of Petrova's age and personality, as well as the fact that "her son is a military serviceman", the court has found it possible "to assign an administrative punishment below the lowest limit".

The "Caucasian Knot" has also reported that the Akhtubinsky District Court of the Astrakhan Region had fined Alexandra Toropchina, a local resident, by 30,000 roubles, concluding that her comments posted in the "VKontakte" social network discredited the Russian Army.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.