Journalist from Yakutia Wins Court Case Against Police

Yakutian journalist Viktoria Tarabukina has secured partial compensation for emotional distress after being wrongly fined for covering an anti-migrant rally. The court ruled to refund her fine and legal expenses, as well as grant her a compensation of 15,000 rubles, reports NewsBox.  

Viktoria Tarabukina, a journalist for the online publication SakhaDay, won a court case against the police, who had previously charged her for reporting on an anti-migrant rally in Yakutia. Tarabukina had sought 50,000 rubles as compensation for moral damages, but the court awarded her 15,000. Additionally, the court ordered a refund of the paid fine of 10,000 rubles and reimbursement of legal expenses amounting to 78,000 rubles.

The incident occurred following a mass gathering of Yakutia residents on January 24, sparked by the murder of a local resident suspected to have been committed by a native of Tajikistan. The head of the republic, Aisen Nikolaev, stated at that time, "there is no place in our society for people like that."

The journalist was present at the rally as part of an editorial assignment; however, according to the court, she did not have any identification markers with her. In February, she was found guilty of obstructing the operation of essential services and fined.