European University at St. Petersburg

European University at St. Petersburg
Date of incident: November 11, 2023
Type of violation: administrative protocol
Institution: European University at St. Petersburg

Summary: Two protocols were drawn up against the European University at St. Petersburg for participating in the activities of an “undesirable organization.” The materials of the administrative cases were received by the Dzerzhinsky District Court of St. Petersburg, Mediazona reports.

Details: In May, the BBC Russian Service, citing sources at the European University in St. Petersburg, reported that the prosecutor’s office and Rosobrnadzor had begun an inspection of the university “for extremism.” Employees of the departments came to the university and read the scientific works and publications of teachers. The European University does not agree with the decisions of the prosecutor’s office and is preparing objections for the court. The books listed by the prosecutor’s office were published in 1997-2004, long before the adoption of Federal Law No. 272-FZ on undesirable organizations. After the law was passed, the books were kept in a closed special collection and were not issued to anyone.

December 20, 2023 The Dzerzhinsky District Court considered two cases of administrative offenses under Article 20.33 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, initiated by the Prosecutor’s Office of St. Petersburg on 8 books that were seized from the closed collection of the university library during the May inspection. Judge Ponomareva A.A., having considered both cases on the merits in today’s session, supported the arguments of the Prosecutor’s Office of St. Petersburg and decided to bring the University to administrative responsibility, imposing a fine of 35,000 rubles for each case, reports the website of the European University at St. Petersburg. The University does not agree with the decision and intends to challenge it in accordance with the procedure established by law.

April 23, 2024 The St. Petersburg City Court upheld one of the two decisions of the Dzerzhinsky District Court in the case of participation in the activities of undesirable organizations, the reason for which was 8 scientific books that the St. Petersburg Prosecutor’s Office seized from the closed collection of the university library during an inspection in May 2023. In this case, in December 2023, the Dzerzhinsky District Court brought the university to administrative responsibility and imposed a fine of 35,000 rubles, the university’s website reports.

Sources: Mediazona, European University at St. Petersburg

11 November 2023

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