Magistrate court fines MMDC 300,000 roubles

Precinct No. 1, chaired by Magistrate Judge Tatiana Deineko of the Tsentralny District of the city of Voronezh, has considered the administrative case regarding the Mass Media Defence Centre (MMDC). The operative part of the decision, read out on April 15, rules "to attract the Regional Fund 'Mass Media Defence Centre' to administrative responsibility and impose a fine of 300,000 roubles."

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 26, the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) registered as a "foreign agent" the MMDC, which actively cooperated with the Caucasian media and journalists. On April 2, in Voronezh, the court began the process, in which the MMDC challenges the protocol on administrative violation compiled by the MoJ's Voronezh Department under Article 19.34 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation (violation of the order of activity of a non-commercial organization acting as a foreign agent). On April 7, witnesses questioned by the court denied the information about the presence of political context in the activity of the MMDC.

The motivational part of the court ruling is not yet at the disposal of MMDC's representatives, but after receiving it they plan to appeal against the ruling, Galina Arapova, the head of the Centre, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"We will have 10 days to challenge the decision; and we'll certainly do it. We have an opinion that the ruling was made not in court. The case has numerous violations, including the inspection issue," said Arapova.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.