Daghestani court compensates journalist with a mere $120 instead of the legally owed $3,700 for unjust detainment.
In a landmark ruling, journalist Yulia Vishnevetskaya has been awarded compensation for her unlawful detention during an anti-mobilisation protest in September 2022.
Vishnevetskaya, who was performing an editorial assignment for the Russian service of RFE/RL and the media outlet Reporter, was arrested for five days and placed in a temporary detention facility in the Karabudakhkentsky District. During her detention, she was cut off from communication with the outside world and had no access to medical care.
The Soviet District Court of Makhachkala partially granted Vishnevetskaya's claim for moral damages, paying her ₽10,000 ($123). This comes after Vishnevetskaya filed a claim against the Soviet District Police Department of the Makhachkala Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Daghestan Ministry of Internal Affairs for moral damages on 7 May 2025.
The court found Vishnevetskaya guilty on administrative charges of participating in an unauthorised public event that obstructed life-support systems, transport, or social infrastructure. However, the Supreme Court of Daghestan later ruled that her actions did not constitute an offence.
Vishnevetskaya stated that her personal belongings - a video camera, stereo microphone, and mobile phone - were seized during her detention but not registered during her detention, and were not returned to her following her release. She also stated that police officers took her fingerprints and photographs three times without explaining her right to refuse. There were no legal grounds for these procedures, as her identity had already been established and recorded in the administrative offence protocol drawn up against her at her arrest.
More than 120 media and online publications reported on her detention as unlawful after the incident. The police have not disclosed the location of the seized items. The judge who partially ruled in favour of Yulia Vishnevetskaya on August 28, 2023, regarding her claim for compensation for unlawful detention and arrest related to participation in an unauthorized public event on May 7, 2025, is not publicly specified.
Initially, Vishnevetskaya requested ₽300,000 ($3,700) in damages. The human rights organisation Memorial stated that she additionally received ₽3,000 ($37) to cover the state fee. Judge Israpil Magomedov accepted the case for consideration, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Finance were involved in the process.
Vishnevetskaya and about 200 other detainees spent more than 24 hours in the Soviet District police station without food, water, sleeping facilities, or indoor toilets. This is a stark reminder of the importance of upholding journalistic freedom and the rule of law in Russia.
