Russian courts have received more than 8,000 administrative cases about discrediting the army

Since the beginning of March 2022, Russian courts have received at least 8,055 administrative cases about the discrediting of the Russian army. The data was analyzed by Mediazona.

8,046 found administrative protocols were reviewed or considered by district courts, nine more by garrison military courts.

It is not clear how many people were prosecuted under this article – the police regularly draw up several reports under the same article against the same person. For example, the author of five anti-war posts on social networks can be subject to a protocol for each post.

In the Pushkin District Court of St. Petersburg, “Mediazona” discovered 15 administrative cases of discrediting against one person, drawn up in one day for 15 different positions. After the second administrative case within one year, a criminal case can be initiated against a person under the article on repeated discrediting, which provides for up to seven years in prison.

• Administrative and criminal articles on the discrediting of the army were introduced into the Administrative Code of Administrative Offenses and the Criminal Code in March 2022, after the beginning of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. Russian courts consider any anti-war speeches or reports about the participation of Russian troops in war crimes to be discreditable.