On 6 February 2024, Russian journalist Maria Baronova was fined 70 thousand rubles on charges of “discrediting” the Russian army and violating laws on public protests, Russian independent media reported. She was prosecuted for having posted a photo of herself standing in front of the Kremlin with a tote bag bearing the inscription “No to War!” in Russian, as well as holding a smartphone with a rainbow flag displayed on its screen. Baronova had the photo of herself taken on November 30, the day that Russia’s Supreme Court designated the “international LGBT movement” as an “extremist organization”.
Russia-Ukraine WarCensorship and regulationPublication ban, take-down order or forced deletion, fine, administrative action