In Kabardino-Balkaria, court refuses to cancel fine imposed on Tamerlan Ivanov for pacifist inscription on his backpack

Tamerlan Ivanov, a resident of Nalchik, who was found guilty of discrediting the Russian Armed Forces with a pacifist inscription on his backpack, challenged the fine, but the Supreme Court (SC) of Kabardino-Balkaria has refused to cancel the punishment.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that Tamerlan Ivanov was detained for a pacifist inscription on his backpack, and his mobile phone and backpack were confiscated. The police drew up administrative protocols against Tamerlan Ivanov for failure to obey the lawful request a law enforcer and discrediting the Russian Army.

Tamerlan Ivanov filed an appeal against the court’s decision on the fine.

“The fact that the Latin letter “Z” on a piece of paper was crossed out is a conjecture of the police who detained Tamerlan Ivanov (...) The court’s assertion that the Latin letter “Z” is a symbol of the special military operation (SMO) does not have any official confirmation,” the complaint states.

Tamerlan Ivanov himself explained that he attached a piece of paper with a pacifist slogan to his backpack “under the impression of a poem by the great Russian poet Yevtushenko.”

According to the judge’s version, Tamerlan Ivanov “exercised his right to express his civic position without taking into account the restrictions established by law,” and his actions were aimed “to discredit the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and its citizens.”

Regarding the Latin letters “Z” and “V,” the judge has explained that they “are applied to the military vehicles and equipment of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and are associated with them, which is publicly known and should not be proven.” The court has upheld the fine imposed on Tamerlan Ivanov.