Rostov activist fined for participation in undesirable organization

A court in Rostov-on-Don has fined Marina Maksakova, an activist of Open Russia* who lives in Lithuania, five thousand rubles in absentia.

As "Kavkazsky Uzel" wrote, on the eve of the pacifist action scheduled for March 6, 2022, security forces detained activists Rostislav Pavlishchev and Marina Maksakova at the train station in Rostov-on-Don and drew up reports on them for petty hooliganism. They themselves believe that the detentions are related to their civic position.

A court in Rostov-on-Don has imposed a fine of five thousand rubles on Open Russia* activist Marina Maksakova for participating in the activities of an organization that is undesirable in the Russian Federation, RIA Novosti reported.

"Maksakova was brought to administrative responsibility under Article 20.33 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (Participation in the activities of a foreign or international organization, in relation to which a decision has been made to recognize its activities as undesirable in the territory of the Russian Federation). She was fined five thousand rubles," the court representative is quoted as saying in the publication.

The administrative case against Maksakova was heard by the Pervomaisky Court of Rostov-on-Don in early June, but the article under which she was held accountable and the text of the decision itself were not published on the court's website.

Maksakova headed the Rostov branch of Ilya Varlamov** and Maxim Katz**'s "City Projects". In addition to Open Russia*, she participated in the activities of Navalny's headquarters*** and currently lives in Lithuania, writes the Telegram channel "Che po Rostovu*".

Recall that in 2021, the court sentenced Rostov activist of Open Russia* Anastasia Shevchenko** to four years of suspended imprisonment for collaborating with an undesirable organization. The court imposed a more lenient sentence than the prosecution requested, but the suspended sentence also implies a number of restrictions, the activist pointed out. That same year, the court reduced Shevchenko**'s suspended sentence to three years.

In 2022, Shevchenko** reported that she had left for Vilnius with her children. On September 7, 2022, it became known that Shevchenko had been added to the Ministry of Internal Affairs' wanted persons database. On December 20, 2022, a court in Rostov-on-Don replaced her suspended sentence with three years in prison. On February 6, 2023, the Rostov Regional Court reduced Shevchenko**'s prison term by one year.

The "Caucasian Knot" has collected news about cases of persecution of activists on a special thematic page "Persecution of activists".

** have been included in the register of foreign agents.

*** Navalny's headquarters, which previously operated in Russian regions, have been recognized as extremist organizations and banned. The Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) has been included in the register of foreign agents, recognized as extremist, and banned in Russia.

**** the activities of the Meta company (which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) are banned in Russia.