In the Rostov region, a court convicted a 71-year-old pensioner of discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and imposed a fine of 40,000 rubles. The case was reported as a decision from the Shakhty City Court and published by that court’s administration. [Source: Shakhty City Court]
The court established that between May and September 2022 the pensioner shared content on her VKontakte page that was aimed at undermining the credibility of the Russian Armed Forces. In particular, linguistic analysis indicated posts that contained negative evaluations of the actions of the RF Armed Forces, including critical remarks about the commander-in-chief and the conduct of military operations. [Source: Shakhty City Court]
The individual did not attend the hearing. She admitted guilt and explained that she did not personally participate in any RF Armed Forces actions in Ukraine. [Source: Shakhty City Court]
Disrespect was defined by the court as deliberate actions intended to destroy confidence, undermine authority, and damage the image of a state institution. [Source: Shakhty City Court]
A separate case from the Urals noted a teacher photographed in a shirt with embroidery depicting a prisoner, raising concerns about attempts to discredit the RF Armed Forces. [Source: Shakhty City Court]