An academic in Novosibirsk is dragged away by police for picketing with a sign that read ‘Putin is a bad president’

A court in Novosibirsk has fined a local man 500 rubles (about $9) for picketing outside during Vladimir Putin’s visit to the city on February 8. This dangerous disturbance of the peace was carried out by Igor Prosanov, a physicomathematics senior researcher at the Institute of Solid State Chemistry. The court convicted him of refusing to obey police orders.Prosanov’s demonstration lasted just 15 minutes, before two plainclothes police officers reportedly dragged him into an unmarked car.

A day after reporting Prosanov’s detention, the local website Academ.inforeceived an order from the Novosibirsk Election Commission declaring that the sign he wore on his vest constitutes illegal campaigning. Prosanov’s vest read: “Putin is a catastrophe for Russia,” and “Putin is a bad president.” Academ.info was forced to redact the image in its report, covering Prosanov’s vest with a notice that says, “This image is blocked in accordance with the Novosibirsk Election Commission’s orders.”

This wasn’t Igor Prosanov’s first brush with the law. On January 28, he was detained at a rally in support of Alexey Navalny’s voters’ boycott against Russia’s next presidential election.