MOSCOW, May 10. The Basmanny Court of Moscow arrested for five days a student of the Moscow Regional State University and archaeologist Vladimir Panin for demonstrating «Nazi paraphernalia», follows from the ruling.
On the morning of May 6, a young man, while in a subway car, read the book «Black March. Memoirs of an SS officer. 1938-1945» by Peter Neumann. It is clarified that the cover depicts a German soldier in a helmet with the «SS» rune. The court considered that the student «carried out a public demonstration to an unlimited circle of persons — passengers of the Moscow Metro — Nazi paraphernalia.»
In turn, Panin said that he did not adhere to the ideology of Nazism and fascism, and studied the material «as a historical source due to his education.» He clarified that he is studying at the Faculty of History, Political Science and Law.
Nevertheless, the court decided that the student's actions constituted an offense under the article of the Code of Administrative Offenses on propaganda or public display of Nazi or other symbols prohibited in Russia.
«To recognize Panin Vladimir Alekseevich as guilty of committing an administrative offense under part 1 of article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, and to sentence him to administrative arrest for a period of five days,» the decision of the court says.
The court also ruled to destroy Neumann's book.
As the correspondent was convinced, this work is freely sold on Russian marketplaces both in electronic and printed form. At the same time, most reviews of the text say that these memoirs are rather anti-war.