On 5 October 2023, the Russian independent media outlet Vecherniye Vedomosti said that its founder Guzel Aytkulova had been fined 110 thousand rubles on charges of “discrediting” the Russian army. According to the outlet, Aytkulova was fined for publications on Vecherniye Vedomosti’s Telegram channel, which reported on anti-war protests in the city of Yekaterinburg, where the outlet is based. The fine was handed by a district court in Yekaterinburg, with Vecherniye Vedomosti’s lawyer Georgiy Krasnov announcing that it would appeal the court’s decision. Independent Russian media outlet MediaZona quoted Krasnov claiming that Aytkulova, as the founder of Vecherniye Vedomosti, was not legally responsible for publications on the outlet’s Telegram channel. According to It’s My City, another local media outlet covering news in Yekaterinburg, the new fine is the fifth in total targeting Vecherniye Vedomosti and its collaborators for alleged “discreditation” of the Russian army. These five fines reportedly now amount to a total of 805 thousand rubles (approximately 7800 euros). Additionally, Aytkulova was summoned to a prosecutor’s office in Yekaterinburg, with authorities claiming they were conducting a verification procedure to determine if the editor should also be accused of “extremism”. Aytkulova was summoned to the prosecutor’s office on the same day as a court was reviewing accusations against her for “discrediting” the Russian army, Russian media reported.
Russia-Ukraine WarCensorship and regulationPublication ban, take-down order or forced deletion, fine, administrative action