In Buryatia, a third administrative case was opened against director Artem Burlov under the article on “discrediting” the army (Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code); the first two court decisions have not yet entered into force. The filmmaker himself told Sibir.Realii about this.
On December 6, 2023, the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Ulan-Ude fined the director 35 thousand rubles. The reason for the protocol was Burlov’s post in his Telegram channel, which said: “Countrymen! We are being sent to slaughter by officials who are rotten from within, whose children are hiding abroad!”
The second resolution imposing an administrative penalty was issued by the Oktyabrsky District Court of Ulan-Ude on December 28, 2023. As local human rights activist Nadezhda Nizovkina said, the protocol was considered without Burlov’s participation, although she asked the court to do so. According to Sibir.Realii, the filmmaker received a fine of 30 thousand rubles.
Burlov clarified in a conversation with journalists that a new protocol was drawn up against him because of a publication in the publication “People of Baikal”. He did not specify what kind of material he was talking about, adding that “he didn’t even read the protocol.”
The Criminal Code stipulates that if a decision in an administrative case on “discrediting” the army comes into force (Article 20.3 .3 of the Code of Administrative Offences), a case can be brought against a person for repeated “discredit” of the army (Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code). At the same time, director Burlov claims that a criminal case cannot be opened against him, since both of the first fines did not come into force, and he plans to appeal them.