Activist Vinogradov Sentenced to 10 Days for Links to Banned Social…
Alexander Vinogradov, a St. Petersburg activist, was sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest for links to banned social media in a 2020 post. The post referenced pages of individuals who attacked him and was deemed by the court as promoting extremist symbolism.
Consensus
- Alexander Vinogradov was arrested for 10 days by the Smolny District Court in St. Petersburg.
- The arrest was based on two protocols filed against Vinogradov under Article 20.3 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offenses.
- A third protocol was filed against his organization, SPBOO 'Potrebnadzor'.
- The case concerned a 2020 post in which Vinogradov shared links to social media pages of individuals who attacked him.
- The court considered the links to Instagram and Facebook as promotion of extremist symbolism.
- Instagram and Facebook are owned by Meta, which is designated as an extremist organization and banned in Russia.
- The court's decision was based on the presence of multiple links to banned platforms in Vinogradov's 2020 post.
- Vinogradov was detained on August 25, 2026, and sent to an IK (pre-trial detention center) on Zakharyevskaya Street.
- The court's ruling included a fine of 1,000 rubles in addition to the 10-day arrest.
- Vinogradov will be barred from participating in elections for one year after the ruling.
Points of divergence
- The court viewed Vinogradov's defense as a premeditated tactic to avoid punishment, despite recognizing it as a constitutional right. — fontanka
- Vinogradov stated he did not plan to run in the 2026 elections. — tg_sotavisionmedia
Coverage (2 sources)
- Activist Vinogradov sent to prison for references to banned social networks — Фонтанка
- Saint Petersburg activist arrested for 10 days due to post from six years ago — SOTAvision