A criminal case was opened against the ex-coordinator of the Pskov “Voice” for repeated violation of the requirements for “foreign agents”

A criminal case was opened against the former coordinator of the Pskov branch of the “Voice” movement, Vladimir Zhilinsky, for violating the procedure for the activities of a “foreign agent.” This is reported by the human rights project “Network Freedoms”.

Zhilinsky faces a fine of up to 300 thousand rubles or imprisonment for up to two years (Part 2 of Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code).

In February 2023, the only similar case in the country was opened against Tver activist Artem Vazhenkov, who had left Russia and participated in the “Voice” observer movement. In February, a court in Tver sent him to arrest in absentia.

When two court decisions under an administrative article on violation of the procedure for the activities of a “foreign agent” (19.34 Code of Administrative Offenses) come into force within a year, the third protocol may result in a criminal case. The Pskov District Court fined Zhilinsky five times under this article — twice in 2022 and three in 2023.

Mediazona studied all the data published by the courts and counted the number of people who had at least two fine under “foreign agency” protocols. Currently, 93 “foreign agents” face prosecution under Part 2 of Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code.

Last October, a court in Kazan sent Radio Liberty editor Alsa Kurmasheva to a pre-trial detention center on charges of failing to provide documents to be included in the register of “foreign agents.” Her case became the first known application of the 3rd part of Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code. In December, a case was also opened against the journalist for military “fakes” because of an anti-war book (Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code).

The Ministry of Justice declared Zhilinsky a “foreign agent” in September 2021, along with 19 other “Voice” participants and coordinators, including Vazhenkov. The department considered that Zhilinsky received a grant of 109 thousand rubles from the Finnish International Solidary Foundation and 460 rubles from a citizen of Uzbekistan — a LisaAlert volunteer. The activist said that the man transferred him money for pizza. Vazhenkov, according to the Ministry of Justice, received a transfer from the card of a Nigerian citizen.

ArticleCriminal readiness. The Ministry of Justice and the RKN are massively issuing fines to “foreign agents” in order to bring them under criminal charges