The case of Votanovsky* for ignoring foreign agent markings has reached court.
A criminal case for evading the duties of a foreign agent against Vitaly Votanovsky*, the author of the Telegram channel "Titushki in Krasnodar," has been filed with the Prikubansky Court of Krasnodar.
As "Kavkazsky Uzel" reported, in mid-April, security forces drew up two reports against Krasnodar activist Vitaly Votanovsky*, accusing him of ignoring the marking of his online publications as being produced by a foreign agent.
On October 15, 2023, it became known that the Ministry of Justice included the activist from Krasnodar resident Vitaly Votanovsky*, who, according to the department, disseminated information aimed at shaping a negative image of Russia, has been charged with failure to perform duties as a foreign agent against military pensioner Vitaly Votanovsky*, author of the "Titushki v Krasnodar" Telegram channel, the coordinator of the "Citizen Observer" project, Vitaly Nemtsev, reported on his Telegram channel.
The trial will be held in absentia; the activist has left Russia and has been living in Croatia for the past two years. The foreign agent faces a fine of up to 300,000 rubles or up to two years in prison, he clarified.
In his Telegram channel "Titushki v Krasnodar," Vitaly Votanovsky* wrote that "this is an official recognition" of his activities. He also recalled that he had been promised that "someone with an ice pick" would be sent after him.
According to the criminal case file on the Prikubansky District Court website, the case was submitted for hearing on May 29. Judge Alexander Tikhomirov will hear it with the participation of lawyer Elianora Abbasova. The hearing date is not yet indicated in the case file.
In the past, activist and author of the Telegram channel "Titushki v Krasnodar," Vitaly Votanovsky*, has been repeatedly detained at protests. On March 30, 2022, the activist's home was searched, after which security forces filed a report against him for discrediting the Russian Armed Forces for the pacifist slogan on his group profile picture. On October 6, 2022, a court in Krasnodar fined Votanovsky* five thousand rubles for participating in an undesirable organization.
In February 2023, Votanovsky* reported that after taking and publishing photos of the graves of soldiers killed in Ukraine on his Telegram channel, "Titushki v Krasnodar," he began receiving threats. In April 2023, the activist reported that he had left Russia.
News about cases of persecution of activists are collected by the "Caucasian Knot" on a special thematic page "Persecution of Activists".
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* are included in the Russian Ministry of Justice's register of foreign agents.
** Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is banned in Russia.
Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/423731
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