A young woman detained during an anti-war protest received compensation from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in a decision described by the joint press service of the St. Petersburg courts. The case highlights how the legal system handles rights violations connected to crowd control actions and civil demonstrations in the city.
Alexandra Kozma was taken into custody in Alexander Garden on March 13, 2022, amid one of the final large gatherings inSt. Petersburg to express opposition to Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. She, along with other activists, called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory and argued for the freedom to assemble. After the location was cleared by police, she was escorted to a district police station where authorities prepared a report alleging a violation of the procedural rules governing public meetings, claims that sanitary norms were breached and that the movement of other citizens was impeded. The reported deprivation of liberty lasted roughly 20 hours, a period during which legal questions about detention procedures and rights were central to the proceedings.
In May of that same year, prosecutors moved to terminate the case against Kozma on the basis that no administrative offense had been established. Following the dismissal, the plaintiff pursued a civil claim seeking moral damages from the Ministry of Internal Affairs in connection with the detention and its consequences.
Leninsky District Court in St. Petersburg formally recognized the petitioner’s grievances and granted compensation amounting to 30 thousand rubles in her favor. The court’s ruling confirmed that the state bore responsibility for the unlawful deprivation of liberty and the emotional distress associated with the incident, establishing a precedent for how similar wrongful detentions may be addressed within the administrative law framework.
The broader context of this case reflects ongoing tensions in Russia over the balance between public safety measures during protests and the protection of basic civil liberties. The decision signifies a recognition at the municipal judicial level that individuals detained under contested circumstances can seek redress for moral harm when the evidence supports a violation of constitutional rights to freedom of assembly and protection from arbitrary detention. The ruling also underscores the importance of timely, transparent procedural accountability within law enforcement and the administrative machinery that supports it, a theme frequently revisited in subsequent cases and court reviews. [Source attribution: joint press service of the St. Petersburg courts]