On May 24, judicial site №31 of Novomoskovsk, Tula Oblast, fined Chuvash activist of the liquidated "Open Russia" Yury Sidorov for 5 thousand rubles under the administrative article for cooperation with an undesirable organization. The reason was a game. On January 23, before the Head of the Republic Mikhail Ignatyev’s message, Yuri Sidorov offered the officials of Chuvashia to play "Bingo-Ignatyev".
On this day, those who were invited to the message received plates with some typical statements of the head of the region. Yuri Sidorov offered them to compare those phrases with Ignatyev’s speech that they were listening to.
— This is the fifth time I’ve been penalized under administrative law for the alleged cooperation with an undesirable organization, — told coordinator of the liquidated "Open Russia" Yuri Sidorov to the correspondent of "7x7" after the trial in Novomoskovsk. — I’ve been followed for this and that, first in the Chuvash Republic and now — in Tula Oblast. Whether it’s relevant to the case or not, the courts believe that if the FSB has written something, then it goes without saying. In the prosecutor's office of Moscovsky District of Cheboksary they told me exactly the same. Naturally, I’m going to move for a new trial, but, alas, there is no justice in Russia.
On April 9, the Lenin district court of Cheboksary under the chairmanship of judge Svetlana Muradova lawed Yury Sidorov for the action on which the head of Chuvashia Mikhail Ignatyev was given the Russian-Chinese phrasebook, and the Prosecutor of the Chuvash Republic Vasily Poslovsky — George Orwell's «1984». Also, the regional coordinator of «Open Russia» was fined for distributing tickets for a non-existent film to a non-existent cinema among orthodox activists protesting against the film "Matilda" screening, for shooting Putin's volunteers from the City Administration, for a debate with coordinator of Navalny’s office Semyon Kochkin, for presenting yellow tulips to the chairman of the State Council of Chuvashia Valery Filimonov. In every case, Sidorov was accused of being involved into the activities of an undesirable organization.
In total, activist of «Open Russia» in Chuvashia Yuri Sidorov was reported for cooperation with an undesirable organization seven times. On April 11, Yuri Sidorov told the mass media that he had left the country under threat of criminal prosecution.
The Russian undesirable organizations law was signed in 2015. It provides criminal liability to those who had two administrative penalties under Article 20.33 of the Code of Administrative Offences within one year. Activist Anastasia Shevchenko from Rostov was the first person against whom a criminal case was opened.
On March 30, the Russian movement "Open Russia" made the decision about voluntary dissolution. Spokesperson of the movement Natalia Gryaznevich explained that the reason was to protect the activists of the movement from the law enforcement prosecution.
