A woman from North Ossetia has been fined for holding a solo protest against pressure on her family.

The Leninsky District Court of Vladikavkaz fined Yuliya Melnichenko 5,000 roubles (around US$55) under the article for non-compliance with rules of conduct in an emergency situation (Part 1, Article 20.6.1 of the Administrative Code). She told OVD-Info about this herself.

In July, the authorities of the republic banned mass gatherings, citing a threat of attacks on participants in the war in Ukraine and drone strikes. Melnichenko, however, was holding a solo protest.

'I tried to point out that only MASS public events are banned in North Ossetia and that a solo protest doesn’t fall under that category. I wanted to cite the law, but Judge Khachaturyants Sogomon Paylakovich interrupted me; he had no intention of listening, as he already had his decision made. The hearing lasted two minutes; the decision was delivered in one, ' she says.

On 30 October, Melnichenko stood outside the prosecutor’s office building with a placard reading: 'Stop the repression'. According to the young woman, her family is facing pressure because they are Ukrainian:

'This includes beatings, confiscation of our plot of land without a court hearing—even though such confiscation is only possible by court order—as well as fabricating various administrative and criminal cases against us.'

This autumn, Melnichenko has already been detained for similar solo protests.