The Frunzensky District Court of Saratov arrested photographer Nurlan Sultanov for five days under the protocol for "demonstrating prohibited symbols," reported a correspondent of the publication 164.ru from the courtroom.
According to the police, on February 16 — the anniversary of the death of politician Alexei Navalny — Sultanov pasted the portrait of the oppositionist on the Vavilov monument in Mirny Lane, Saratov. After a police remark, the man removed the photo of Navalny, but a protocol was still drawn up against him, and Judge Ekaterina Murzina considered it "the dissemination of extremist symbols."
The police detained Nurlan Sultanov on March 14, and he spent two days in the Ministry of Internal Affairs department. According to the photographer, during the detention, he was fed only once.
As the publication writes, at the meeting, police officer Konstantin Goryunov stated that "there is judicial practice in Russia according to which a photo of Navalny is considered extremist symbolism," but he could not name a court case with a decision on a similar matter.
Meanwhile, the Petrogradsky District Court of St. Petersburg fined local resident Lika Dyachkina three times for posting a photo of Alexei Navalny at the Solovetsky Stone in St. Petersburg. In all three court decisions, it is stated that "the name and surname — "Alexei Navalny", as well as his image, have an established perception in society." In addition, the politician's surname "is contained in the name of the movement "Navalny's Headquarters", which is recognized by the court as extremist and its activities are prohibited."
"The attributes and symbols of extremist organizations should be understood as the attributes and symbols used by such organizations for individualization and positioning themselves in society, for the propaganda of the goals and objectives of such organizations," is stated in the court decisions.
* Included in the list of "terrorists and extremists".