The Yakutsk City Court fined Anatoly Nogovitsyn, the head of the local Yabloko branch, 10,000 rubles. Nogovitsyn described the ruling in a statement through his Telegram channel, noting the amount and saying he has not yet decided whether to challenge the decision in court. The decision comes amid ongoing debates over how political protests and direct elections are managed in the region.
Nogovitsyn was detained after organizing a joint rally against the cancellation of the mayoral elections. Following the rally, he faced charges for violating the established procedure for holding a rally. The event symbolized rising tensions over attempts to alter the election process.
On November 24 in Yakutsk, the rally against the abolition of direct mayor elections drew more than twenty participants. Police conducted searches of demonstrators, and Nogovitsyn was detained during the event.
On November 2, the Parliament of the Republic of Sakha received a bill proposing the abolition of direct mayor elections in Yakutsk. The amendments state that the head of any municipal unit in the republic, including Yakutsk, can be elected by any legal means. The proposal has sparked a heated debate about the balance between direct democracy and administrative efficiency.
Opposition movements in Tbilisi also advanced protests in March against election results, illustrating a broader pattern of street action as governments confront contested results.