A bar in Tatarstan was fined 100,000 rubles under the article on "discrediting" the army due to a song by Verka Serduchka.

      In court, the individual entrepreneur, for whom a protocol was drawn up, admitted guilt. The Nurlatsky District Court of Tatarstan fined the local bar "Checkmate" 100,000 rubles under the article on "discrediting" the army due to the song by Verka Serdyuchka. The court's ruling from April 1 was noted by the publication SotaVision. The decision states that the reason for initiating the administrative case was the song "Gulyanochka" by Verka Serdyuchka, which "provoked criticism of the current political situation." According to the conclusion of a specialist from the Naberezhnye Chelny State Pedagogical University, "the performance of the musical composition 'Gulyanochka' <…> currently on the territory of the Russian Federation, conducting a special military operation, or special military operation, the authorities of Russia are obliged to refer to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on the territory of Ukraine, may be perceived by Russian citizens in a negative light as a betrayal of the interests of the Motherland, propaganda of the Ukrainian regime and forms of statehood." In court, the individual entrepreneur, for whom a protocol was drawn up, admitted guilt. At the end of last year, the management of the Kazan restaurant "Baku Courtyard" was fined for the song "Gulyanochka" by Verka Serdyuchka. In early November of last year, journalists from "Sever.Realii" calculated that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, at least 44 people have been prosecuted in Russia and the annexed Crimea for performing or listening to Ukrainian songs. Soon after the armed invasion of Ukraine, the Russian authorities tightened legislation. Administrative and criminal cases are being initiated in Russia against participants in anti-war actions under new articles on "discrediting" the Russian army and spreading "fakes" about it, including on social media. The accused face up to 15 years in prison. Military censorship has effectively been introduced in the country, prohibiting the media from covering the war except from state positions. Subscribe to our channel on Telegram.