Police draw up reports of ‘discrediting’ the army against St. Petersburg deputies who accused Putin of treason

In St. Petersburg seven deputies from the Smolninskoye municipal council were summoned by the police for “discrediting” the Russian army. Deputy Dmitry Palyuga spoke to Mediazona about it.

According to a message from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of St. Petersburg’s Central District, which was received by deputy Nikita Yuferev, the deputies’ actions come under the Russian Federation’s Code of Administrative Offenses for “actions aimed at discrediting the current government.” 

According to police, the deputies carried out these actions on September 7 at 1 Odesskaya Street, where the Smolninskoye municipal council administrative building is located.

In addition to Yuferev, police charged deputies Dmitry Baltrukov, Dmitry Palyuga, Ivan Chebotar, and Anna Kisleva. Two others were released without charges.

In the evening of September 7, deputies of the Smolninskoye municipal council decided to call on the State Duma to bring treason charges against Russian president Vladimir Putin, in order to remove him from office over the war in Ukraine. The text of the appeal says, in particular, that in the course of military action “young able-bodied” citizens of Russia are dying and the Russian economy is suffering.  

Municipal deputy Dmitry Palyuga said that the decision was supported by a majority of participating deputies, without specifying exactly how many. The head of the municipal council Grigory Rankov said that eight deputies of a total of 20 participated in the gathering on September 7, and that it “did not have the character of a meeting of deputies of the municipal council.” In his words the group was “unauthorized to make decisions.” Deputy Rankov called their actions “provocation” and “an attempt to discredit the remaining deputies of the municipal council.”