39538/22;40075/22;40891/22;40898/22;41288/22;41305/22;41759/22;41760/22;41895/22;41996/22;43421/22;43467/22;43968/22;44521/22;45080/22;46854/22;47925/22;47934/22;53417/22;2367/23;27213/23

THIRD SECTION CASE OF MASLOVA AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA (Applications nos. 39538/22 and 20 others – see appended list)             JUDGMENT   STRASBOURG 13 November 2025     This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision. In the case of Maslova and Others v. Russia, The European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:  Úna Ní Raifeartaigh, President,  Mateja Đurović,  Vasilka Sancin, judges, and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar, Having deliberated in private on 23 October 2025, Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date: PROCEDURE 1.  The case originated in applications against Russia lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on the various dates indicated in the appended table. 2.  The Russian Government (“the Government”) were given notice of the applications. THE FACTS 3.  The list of applicants and the relevant details of the applications are set out in the appended table. 4.  The applicants complained of the disproportionate measures taken against them as organisers or participants of public assemblies in connection with their participation in various public events in breach of COVID‑19‑related restrictions. They also raised other complaints under the provisions of the Convention and its Protocol. THE LAW JOINDER OF THE APPLICATIONS 5.  Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single judgment. JURISDICTION 6.  The Court observes that the facts giving rise to the alleged violations of the Convention occurred prior to 16 September 2022, the date on which the Russian Federation ceased to be a party to the Convention. The Court therefore decides that it has jurisdiction to examine the present applications (see Fedotova and Others v. Russia [GC], nos. 40792/10 and 2 others, §§ 68‑73, 17 January 2023). ALLEGED VIOLATION OF ARTICLE 11 OF THE CONVENTION 7.  The applicants complained principally of disproportionate measures taken against them as organisers or participants of public assemblies in connection with their participation in various public events in breach of COVID-19-related restrictions, namely their arrest in relation to the dispersal of these assemblies and their conviction for administrative offences. They relied, expressly or in substance, on Article 11 of the Convention. 8.  The Court refers to the principles established in its case-law regarding freedom of assembly (see Kudrevičius and Others v. Lithuania [GC], no. 37553/05, ECHR 2015, with further references) and proportionality of interference with it (see Oya Ataman v. Turkey, no. 74552/01, ECHR 2006‑XIV, and Hyde Park and Others v. Moldova, no. 33482/06, 31 March 2009). It further refers to Nemytov and Others, no. 1257/21 and 2 Others, 27 May 2025, in so far as the application by the authorities of the COVID 19-related restrictions to assemblies are concerned. 9.  In the leading cases of Nemytov and Others, cited above, §§ 136-51, Frumkin v. Russia, no. 74568/12, ECHR 2016 (extracts), Navalnyy and Yashin v. Russia, no. 76204/11, 4 December 2014, and Kasparov and Others v. Russia, no. 21613/07, 3 October 2013, the Court already found a violation in respect of issues similar to those in the present case. 10.  Having examined all the material submitted to it, the Court has not found any fact or argument capable of persuading it to reach a different conclusion as to the admissibility and merits of these complaints. Having regard to its case-law on the subject, the Court considers that in the instant case the interferences with the applicants’ freedom of assembly were not “necessary in a democratic society”. 11.  These complaints are therefore admissible and disclose a breach of Article 11 of the Convention. OTHER ALLEGED VIOLATIONS UNDER WELL-ESTABLISHED CASE-LAW 12.  The applicants submitted other complaints which also raised issues under the Convention and its Protocol, given the relevant well-established case-law of the Court (see appended table). These complaints are not manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 (a) of the Convention, nor are they inadmissible on any other ground. Accordingly, they must be declared admissible. 13.  Having examined all the material before it, the Court concludes that these complaints also disclose violations of the Convention and its Protocol in the light of its findings in Butkevich v. Russia, no. 5865/07, §§ 63-65, 13 February 2018, Tsvetkova and Others v. Russia, nos. 54381/08 and 5 others, §§ 115-31, 10 April 2018, and Korneyeva v. Russia, no. 72051/17, §§ 34-36, 8 October 2019, as to various aspects of unlawful deprivation of liberty of organisers or participants of public assemblies; Karelin v. Russia, no. 926/08, §§ 58-85, 20 September 2016, concerning the absence of a prosecuting party in the proceedings under the Code of Administrative Offences (the CAO); and Martynyuk v. Russia, no. 13764/15, §§ 38-42, 8 October 2019, relating to the lack of suspensive effect of an appeal against the sentence of administrative detention. REMAINING COMPLAINTS 14.  All applicants, except for the applicant in application no. 2367/23, raised further additional complaints under Article 6 of the Convention concerning other aspects of fairness of the administrative-offence proceedings. In view of the findings in paragraphs 11 and 13 above, the Court considers that there is no need to deal separately with these remaining complaints. APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION 15.  Regard being had to the documents in its possession and to its case‑law (see, in particular, Navalnyy and Others v. Russia [Committee], nos. 25809/17 and 14 others, § 22, 4 October 2022), the Court finds it reasonable to award the sums indicated in the appended table. FOR THESE REASONS, THE COURT, UNANIMOUSLY, Decides to join the applications; Holds that it has jurisdiction to deal with these applications as they relate to facts that took place before 16 September 2022; Declares the complaints under Article 11 of the Convention and the other complaints under the well-established case-law of the Court, as set out in the appended table, admissible, and finds that there is no need to examine separately the remaining complaints under Article 6 of the Convention; Holds that these applications disclose a breach of Article 11 of the Convention; Holds that there has been a violation of the Convention and the Protocols thereto as regards the other complaints raised under the well-established case-law of the Court (see appended table); Holds (a)  that the respondent State is to pay the applicants, within three months, the amounts indicated in the appended table, to be converted into the currency of the respondent State at the rate applicable at the date of settlement; (b)  that from the expiry of the above-mentioned three months until settlement simple interest shall be payable on the above amounts at a rate equal to the marginal lending rate of the European Central Bank during the default period plus three percentage points. Done in English, and notified in writing on 13 November 2025, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.    Viktoriya Maradudina Úna Ní Raifeartaigh  Acting Deputy Registrar President     APPENDIX List of applications raising complaints under Article 11 of the Convention (disproportionate measures against organisers and participants of public assemblies) No. Application no. Date of introduction Applicant’s name Year of birth   Representative’s name and location Name of the public event Location Date Administrative / criminal offence Penalty Final domestic decision Court Name Date Other complaints under well-established case-law Amount awarded for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage and costs and expenses per applicant (in euros)[1]     39538/22 15/07/2022 Aleksandra Nikolayevna MASLOVA   Baranova Natalya Andreyevna   Moscow Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   06/03/2022 article 20.2.2 § 1 of CAO fine of RUB 12,000 St Petersburg City Court 29/03/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 3.40 p.m. to 9.15 p.m. on 06/03/2022 for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 29/03/2022 4,000     40075/22 02/08/2022 Pavel Pavlovich MIKHAYLOV   Vasilchenko Olesya Anatolyevna   Minyar Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   06/03/2022 article 20.2.2 § 1 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 St Petersburg City Court 05/04/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 3 p.m. on 06/03/2022 to 4.30 p.m. on 07/03/2022 until court hearing for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 05/04/2022 4,000     40891/22 11/08/2022 Tatyana Yevgenyevna KRASHENNIKOVA   Shiolashvili Mikhail Germanovich   St Petersburg Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   06/03/2022 article 20.2.2. § 1 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 St Petersburg City Court 19/04/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 5 p.m. on 06/03/2022 to the evening of 07/03/2022 until court hearing for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 19/04/2022 4,000     40898/22 11/08/2022 Andrey Sergeyevich AMELIN   Shiolashvili Mikhail Germanovich   St Petersburg Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   24/02/2022 article 20.2.2. § 1 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 St Petersburg City Court 24/05/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 11.15 p.m. on 24/02/2022 to 25/02/2022 until court hearing for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 24/05/2022 4,000     41288/22 11/08/2022 Tatyana Mikhaylovna YEREMEYEVA   Zyryanova Mariya Sergeyevna   St Petersburg Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   06/03/2022 article 20.2.2 § 1 of CAO detention for 5 days St Petersburg City Court 12/04/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 2 p.m. on 06/03/2022 to 9.11 a.m. on 07/03/2022 until court hearing for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 12/04/2022,   Prot. 7 Art. 2 - delayed review of conviction by a higher tribunal - The sentence of administrative detention imposed on the applicant was executed immediately, on account of the lack of suspensive effect of an appeal under the CAO 5,000     41305/22 12/08/2022 Georgiy Nikolayevich SHAND   Zyryanova Mariya Sergeyevna   St Petersburg Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   06/03/2022 article 20.2.2 § 1 of CAO detention for 3 days St Petersburg City Court 12/04/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 3.08 p.m. on 06/03/2022 to 10.11 a.m. on 07/03/2022 until court hearing for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 12/04/2022,   Prot. 7 Art. 2 - delayed review of conviction by a higher tribunal - The sentence of administrative detention imposed on the applicant was executed immediately, on account of the lack of suspensive effect of an appeal under the CAO 5,000     41759/22 10/08/2022 Salima Malikovna TALIPOVA   Gerasimov Dmitriy Georgiyevich   St Petersburg Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   27/02/2022 article 20.2.2 § 1 of CAO detention for 8 days St Petersburg City Court 14/04/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 27/02/2022 to 28/02/2022 until court hearing for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 14/04/2022 5,000     41760/22 07/08/2022 Emiliya Ramilevna NURDINOVA   Baranova Natalya Andreyevna   Moscow Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   27/02/2022 article 20.2.2 § 1 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 St Petersburg City Court 07/04/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 6.50 p.m. on 27/02/2022 to 7.30 p.m. on 28/02/2022 for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 07/04/2022 4,000     41895/22 05/08/2022 Yevgeniy Yuryevich ANASHKIN   Ivanov Nikifor Yuryevich   St Petersburg Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   24/02/2022 article 20.2.2. § 1 of CAO detention for 5 days St Petersburg City Court 05/04/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 8.55 p.m. on 24/02/2022 p.m. to the evening of 25/02/2022, until court hearing, in excess of 3 hours for the sole purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 05/04/2022,   Prot. 7 Art. 2 - delayed review of conviction by a higher tribunal - the sentence of administrative detention imposed on the applicant was executed immediately, on account of the lack of suspensive effect of an appeal under the CAO 5,000   41996/22 27/07/2022 Flyura Gabdrakhimovna TEMIRBULATOVA   Baranova Natalya Andreyevna   Moscow Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   24/02/2022 article 20.2.2 § 1 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 St Petersburg City Court 29/03/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 5.15 p.m. on 24/02/2022 to 6.20 p.m. on 25/02/2022 until court hearing for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 29/03/2022 4,000   43421/22 13/08/2022 Andrey Yuryevich DMITRIYEV   Vasilchenko Olesya Anatolyevna   Minyar Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   27/02/2022 article 20.2.2 § 1 of CAO detention for 3 days St Petersburg City Court 14/04/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 7.20 p.m. on 27/02/2022 to 3 p.m. on 28/02/2022 for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 14/04/2022,   Prot. 7 Art. 2 - delayed review of conviction by a higher tribunal - The sentence of administrative detention imposed on the applicant was executed immediately, on account of the lack of suspensive effect of an appeal under the CAO 5,000   43467/22 26/08/2022 Nataliya Sergeyevna LEKO   Tkachenko Ilya Valeryevich   Kogalym Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   24/02/2022 article 20.2.2. § 1 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 St Petersburg City Court 28/04/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 11.33 p.m. on 24/02/2022 p.m. to 3.55 p.m. on 25/02/2022 in excess of 3 hours for the sole purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 28/04/2022 4,000   43968/22 18/08/2022 Nikita Sergeyevich AGAFONOV   Vasilchenko Olesya Anatolyevna   Minyar Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   06/03/2022 article 20.2.2 § 1 of CAO fine of RUB 15,000 St Petersburg City Court 19/04/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 3.08 p.m. on 06/03/2022 to 6.10 p.m. 07/03/2022 for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: ST Petersburg City Court, 19/04/2022 4,000   44521/22 20/08/2022 Sergey Petrovich BURMISTROV   Vasilchenko Olesya Anatolyevna   Minyar Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   06/03/2022 article 20.2.2 § 1 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 St Petersburg City Court 21/04/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 2.40 p.m. on 06/03/2022 to 11.30 a.m. on 07/03/2022 until court hearing for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 21/04/2022 4,000   45080/22 26/08/2022 Denis Dmitriyevich SOLOVYEV   Vasilchenko Olesya Anatolyevna   Minyar Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   06/03/2022 article 20.2.2 § 1 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 St Petersburg City Court 26/04/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 3.30 p.m. on 06/03/2022 to 12.15 p.m. on 07/03/2022 until court hearing for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 26/04/2022 4,000   46854/22 16/09/2022 Yekaterina Andreyevna MIKHAYLENKO   Semenov Daniil Aleksandrovich   St Petersburg Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   24/02/2022 article 20.2.2. § 1 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 St Petersburg City Court 17/05/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 7.55 p.m. on 24/02/2022 p.m. to 12 p.m. on 25/02/2022, until court hearing, in excess of 3 hours for the sole purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 17/05/2022 4,000   47925/22 12/09/2022 Daneliya Aleksandrovna MANDRESKO   Gerasimov Dmitriy Georgiyevich   St Petersburg Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   01/03/2022 article 20.2.2 § 1 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 St Petersburg City Court 16/06/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 01/03/2022 to 02/03/2022 until court hearing for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 16/06/2022 4,000   47934/22 12/09/2022 Ivan Alekseyevich KUZIN   Gerasimov Dmitriy Georgiyevich   St Petersburg Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   06/03/2022 article 20.2.2 § 1 of CAO fine of RUB 15,000 St Petersburg City Court 28/06/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 3.30 p.m. on 06/03/2022 to 2.30 a.m. on 07/03/2022 for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 28/06/2022 4,000   53417/22 21/10/2022 Tatyana Nikolayevna RAKINA   Shiolashvili Mikhail Germanovich St Petersburg Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   27/02/2022 article 20.2 § 2 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 St Petersburg City Court 23/06/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 27 to 28/02/2022 for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 23/06/2022 4,000   2367/23 30/12/2022 Maryana Shakharbiyevna KALMYKOVA       Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   06/03/2022 article 20.2.2 § 1 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 St Petersburg City Court 11/10/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 4.30 p.m. on 06/03/2022 to 11 a.m. on 07/03/2022 for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal 4,000   27213/23 02/08/2022 Yelena Vasilyevna TRIFONOVA   Vasilchenko Olesya Anatolyevna   Minyar Anti-war protest   St Petersburg   26/02/2022 article 20.2.2 § 1 of CAO fine of RUB 10,000 St Petersburg City Court 07/04/2022 Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention from 8.30 p.m. on 26/02/2022 to 4 p.m. on 28/02/2022 until court hearing for the sole purpose of drawing up an administrative offence record, raised on appeal,   Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - Final decision: St Petersburg City Court, 07/04/2022 4,000     [1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.