The Zelenogradsky District Court of Moscow fined local residents O. Logvinova and N. Pashutina because of faded flags on car license plates. This is stated in two rulings published on the website of the Moscow courts, Mediazona drew attention to them.
The court made both decisions on May 24. Pashutina and Logvinova were found guilty under protocols on the demonstration of extremist symbols (Part 1 of Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). The punishment for citizens under this article is a fine from 1 to 2 thousand rubles or arrest for up to 15 days. The rulings do not say how much the women were fined.
According to the documents, on the morning of May 23, 2023, Pashutina “performed a public demonstration of the symbols of an extremist organization, <…> using a vehicle with a registration plate with a changed color scheme of the flag of the Russian Federation. The court considered that the “changed color scheme” is the white-blue-white flag used by the Freedom of Russia legion, which is recognized as extremist.
Pashutina did not plead guilty and said at the meeting that she did not change the color of the flag and did not know who could have done it. She suggested that the red was «burnt out or worn out». Pashutina stressed that she often inspects her car, but did not pay attention to the flag, as it is small.
At the request of the defense, a witness was interrogated in court, who said that on May 23, when his friend Pashutina drove for him , a traffic police officer approached them and offered to become witnesses, both agreed. In the process of compiling the materials, the policeman drew attention to the license plate of the car and indicated that the colors had been changed on it.
A similar protocol was drawn up on May 16 at Logvinova. According to the court, a detective approached her and also noticed a white-blue-white flag on the numbers. “The man began to ask questions about her participation in terrorist organizations, demanded to show a mobile phone. She complied with all his demands, but later other police officers arrived, began to put pressure on her that they would take her away, draw up material, because of which she was frightened, closed herself in the car and called her husband. She did not see that part of the license plate was modified on her car, <…> and suggested that the red color could rub off or fade in the sun, ”the case file says.
Logvinova's husband confirmed in court that his wife was surrounded by five security officials who put pressure on her and threatened her. The husband of a resident of Zelenograd arrived at the place “and during the proceedings he noticed that the car parked nearby also lacked a red stripe on the license plate.” The man pointed this out to the operatives, who, in the end, also «saw signs of an offense in this.» The lawyer did not agree with the decision to fine Logvinova, she herself also did not admit guilt.
According to Baza, Nina Pashutina is 65 years old, Olga Logvinova is 37 years old, she works as an English teacher. The Telegram channel claims that Logvinova was detained and she was in a special detention center until the trial. They also drew up a protocol on disobedience to the security forces and fined her — for what amount, it is not specified (part 1 of article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses).
In addition, on May 20, the Zelenogradsky District Court arrested M. Kovalenko for 15 days under a similar protocol (Part 1 of Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) because he “showed to pedestrians and citizens in passing cars” two stickers with white and blue — white flag on road equipment.
Earlier, there were no cases of fines and administrative arrests under the article on extremist symbols because of white-blue-white flags. For example, a Sochi resident who ran with such a flag, and a Novosibirsk resident who brought a white-blue-white flag to the parade on May 9, were fined under protocols on “discrediting” the army (part 1 of article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). Two picketers from Orenburg, who showed a white-blue-white flag on the screens of their phones, were arrested under the rally articles (part 2 of article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses and part 8 of article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses).
In Moscow, on May 23, a citizen of Belarus was detained after launching white and blue balloons and a flag in the Chertanovo district. The man was charged with petty hooliganism (Part 1 of Article 20.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) because of “obscene statements in a public place” and was arrested for 15 days.