Olga Nazarenko
- Criminal Code
- Article 212.1, Russian Criminal CodeArticle 280.3 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
- Case category
- Anti-war casesCases related to mass actions
- Verdict
- Case dismissed
- Date of verdict
- 2023-12-13
- Region
- Ivanovo Oblast
- City
- Ivanovo
Case summary
Resident of Ivanovo, a pharmacologist, and a participant in protest actions. On 20 September 2022, Nazarenko was searched at her workplace as part of a criminal case on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces; then searched at her home. The criminal case was initiated over leaflets that referred to war crimes in Bucha, Irpen, and other Ukrainian cities. According to the investigation, Nazarenko put up the leaflets on 6 September. At that time, the police detained her but later released her without an administrative protocol. However, they added that Nazarenko was under investigation for distributing anti-war leaflets, as well as for the Ukrainian flag displayed on her balcony. In addition, the investigator seized the activist's laptop during her detention. Earlier, in May, Nazarenko was fined 40,000 rubles under an administrative offence for discrediting the Russian Armed Forces due to a solitary picket holding a poster with a quote from Ukrainian poet Lina Kostenko.
On 18 October, it became known that a case of repeated violation of the order of holding public events was brought against Nazarenko. The case was prompted by a solitary picket she held on 10 September in support of those persecuted for their anti-war stance - Aleksandra Skochilenko, Olga Smirnova, Mariia Ponomarenko, Victoriia Petrova, and Ilya Yashin. At the time of the picket, Nazarenko already had three final court rulings under the article concerning violations of public event regulations, which under the law can lead to a case under Article 212.1 of the Criminal Code: all because of solitary pickets held in February. Two of these protests were against the war; another, the very first one, held on 13 February, was dedicated to Nikita Uvarov, convicted in the "Kansk teenagers" case. Nazarenko was given a recognisance not to leave the country. Later, Nazarenko was suspended from teaching at the Ivanovo State Medical Academy.
On 22 August 2023, Nazarenko was detained after a session and taken to the police station, where a protocol was drawn up on repeated violation of the order of holding public events (Part 8, Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences) due to a freedom of speech rally held by Ivanovo activists in the local Speaker's Corner. Nazarenko was released from the court, and the protocol was returned to the police.
In addition, in March, Nazarenko was investigated for a possible offence under Article 319 of the Criminal Code - insulting a representative of the authorities, but no case was initiated.
Olga Nazarenko died in October 2023.
Others charged under Article 212.1, Russian Criminal Code
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Source: this person’s record in the OVD-Info political persecution database
Published under CC BY 3.0. The criteria for treating a person as politically persecuted belong to OVD-Info; FACTUM relays their assessment and makes none of its own.
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