The Constitutional Court of Russia refused to cancel the article on “discrediting the army”

The Constitutional Court of Russia on Thursday evening refused to consider the appeals of human rights defenders who demanded to cancel the article on administrative responsibility for the so-called discrediting of the army. The court determined that it does not contradict the Russian Constitution.

According to “OVD-Info”, 13 applicants filed complaints about the unconstitutionality of the article. Among them are the lawyers of the “OVD-Info” project itself, the human rights organizations “Memorial” and “Sitting Russia”. Lawyers emphasized that the article violates constitutional rights to expression of opinion, freedom of conscience, assembly, and is also discriminatory. In total, they sent complaints to 23 applicants who were fined for expressing their anti-war position. The court refused to consider 13 of them, including Ilya Yashin’s complaint, and another 10 are under investigation.

Among other things, the court rulings state that the decisions of the Russian authorities “cannot be arbitrarily called into question.” The court confirmed that war propaganda is prohibited in Russia, but declared that the article on “discrediting” is not aimed at such propaganda, does not introduce a mandatory ideology, and does not contain discrimination “depending on belief.”

One of the authors of the complaint, lawyer Hryhory Vypan, told the BBC that “the entire Constitution has been turned upside down in the decision of the Constitutional Court.” “It completely erases the entire 30-year legacy of the Constitutional Court in the sphere of protection of freedom of speech and assembly, and human rights in general,” Vypan believes.

“In the refusal rulings, the Constitutional Court confirmed that the article on discrediting is necessary to suppress criticism of the war and dissent, only those who support the war can speak out on this account, and those who disagree must remain silent. Undoubtedly, such an approach clearly contradicts the Constitution and is discriminatory,” said one of author of mourning, lawyer Maria Nemova.