THIRD SECTION
CASE OF ZAKHAROVA AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA
(Applications nos. 33482/21 and 24 others –
see appended list)
JUDGMENT
STRASBOURG
16 October 2025
This judgment is final but it may be subject to editorial revision.
In the case of Zakharova and Others v. Russia,
The European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), sitting as a Committee composed of:
Diana Kovatcheva, President,
Canòlic Mingorance Cairat,
Vasilka Sancin, judges,
and Viktoriya Maradudina, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having deliberated in private on 25 September 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 participants of public assemblies held in January 2021 in Cheboksary. They also raised other complaints under the provisions of the Convention.
THE LAW
JOINDER OF THE APPLICATIONS5. Having regard to the similar subject matter of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single judgment.
JURISDICTION6. 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 CONVENTION7. The applicants complained principally of disproportionate measures taken against them as organisers or participants of public assemblies, 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).
9. In the leading cases of 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 and, in so far as relevant in the context of the application by the authorities of the COVID-19-related restrictions to assemblies, Nemytov and Others v. Russia, no. 1257/21 and 2 others, 27 May 2025, 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-LAW12. Some applicants submitted other complaints which also raised issues under the Convention, 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 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 Novikova and Others v. Russia, nos. 25501/07 and 4 others, §§ 106-225, 26 April 2016, relating to disproportionate measures taken by the authorities against participants of solo manifestations.
REMAINING COMPLAINTS14. Some applicants 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 10-13 above, the Court considers that there is no need to deal separately with these remaining complaints.
APPLICATION OF ARTICLE 41 OF THE CONVENTION15. 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 the facts that took place before 16 September 2022;Declares the complaints under Article 11 of the Convention and the other complaints under 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 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 16 October 2025, pursuant to Rule 77 §§ 2 and 3 of the Rules of Court.
Viktoriya Maradudina Diana Kovatcheva
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]
33482/21
03/06/2021
Karina Aleksandrovna ZAKHAROVA
1997
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
16/03/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to a police station on 23/01/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing up an offence record,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
33584/21
03/06/2021
Andrey Vyacheslavovich ANDREYEV
1981
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 11,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
22/03/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention on 23/01/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing a record of administrative offence,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
33776/21
03/06/2021
Ilya Vladimirovich VASILYEV
2000
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
23/03/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest, escorting to a police station on 23/01/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence
4,000
33791/21
03/06/2021
Vasiliy KERIMOV
1987
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
24/03/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention on 23/01/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
33795/21
03/06/2021
Irina Sergeyevna PERFILOVA
1987
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
30/03/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and escorting to a police station on 02/02/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence in connection with the rally of 23/01/2021,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
33799/21
03/06/2021
Larisa Mikhaylovna VASILYEVA
1970
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 12,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
18/03/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest, escorting to a police station and detention on 30/01/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing a record of administrative offence in respect of participation in the rally of 23/01/2021,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
33805/21
03/06/2021
Semen Vladimirovich KALASHNIKOV
1993
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
08/04/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest, escorting to a police station on 23/01/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
33812/21
03/06/2021
Konstantin Viktorovich DMITRIYEV
1992
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
30/03/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and escorting to a police station on 23/01/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing a record of administrative offence,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
33813/21
03/06/2021
Sergey Leonidovich ZLOBIN
1950
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
16/03/2021
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
3,500
33839/21
03/06/2021
Denis Mikhaylovich RADCHENKO
1986
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
11/03/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest, escorting to a police station and detention between 30/01/2021 and 01/02/2021 as administrative suspect, pending trial and after the offence record in respect of the rally of 23/01/2021 had been compiled,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
33840/21
03/06/2021
Nikolay Borisovich RYABENKO
1999
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
01/04/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - escorting to the police station on 23/01/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing a record of an administrative offence
4,000
33842/21
03/06/2021
Igor Leonidovich SKVORTSOV
1992
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
19/02/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest, escorting to a police station on 23/01/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing up the offence record,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
33843/21
03/06/2021
Vladislav Aleksandrovich NIKOLAYEV
1991
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
16/03/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention on 23/01/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
33865/21
03/06/2021
Aleksey Sergeyevich IGNATYEV
1987
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
27/04/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest, escorting to a police station on 23/01/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
33873/21
03/06/2021
Roman Sergeyevich YAKOVLEV
1993
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 12,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
06/04/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and escorting to a police station, on 23/01/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing up a record of administrative offence,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
34084/21
03/06/2021
Andrey Vyacheslavovich PLATONOV
1986
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
31/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
16/03/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest, escorting to a police station and detention between 31/01/2021 and 01/02/2021 as administrative suspect, after the offence record had been compiled,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
34092/21
03/06/2021
Leonid Vitalyevich YEFIMOV
1970
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
30/03/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and detention on 23/01/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing a record of administrative offence,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
34096/21
03/06/2021
Anastasiya Vitalyevna REPINA
1998
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
31/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
29/03/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest, escorting to a police station and detention on 31/01/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing a record of administrative offence,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
34356/21
03/06/2021
Mikhail Yuryevich GAVRIKOV
1986
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
30/03/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - the applicant taken to the police station as an administrative suspect for the purposes of drawing a record of an administrative offence; no written record of the administrative escort,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
34368/21
03/06/2021
Liliya Anatolyevna IVANOVA
2000
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
20/04/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest and escorting to a police station on 23/01/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing a record of administrative offence,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
34408/21
03/06/2021
Arina Aleksandrovna YEGOROVA
1997
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
09/03/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest, escorting to a police station on 23/01/2021 for the sole purpose of drawing up an offence record,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
34424/21
03/06/2021
Viktor Vasilyevich FEDOROV
1963
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A.
Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
13/04/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - arrest, escorting to a police station on 02/02/2021 (as per the courts’ findings citing relevant records) for the sole purpose of drawing up an offence record in respect of the rally of 23/01/2021,
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
4,000
34428/21
03/06/2021
Dmitriy Alekseyevich FEDOROV
2001
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
18/03/2021
Art. 5 (1) - unlawful detention - on 23/01/2021 the applicant was taken to the police station - the escort was not absolutely necessary
4,000
55921/21
26/10/2021
Mikhail Veniaminovich CHERNOV
1974
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A. Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
29/04/2021
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings
3,5000
2282/22
06/12/2021
Stepan Stepanovich FILIPPOV
1960
Glukhov Aleksey Vladimirovich
Novocheboksarsk
Rally in support of A.
Navalnyy
Cheboksary
23/01/2021
article 20.2 § 5 of CAO
fine of RUB 10,000
Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
17/08/2021
Art. 6 (1) - lack of impartiality of the tribunal in view of the absence of a prosecuting party in administrative-offence proceedings - both sets of proceedings,
Art. 10 (1) - disproportionate measures against solo demonstrators - Cheboksary, 05/08/2020, solo demonstration against the refusal to register the applicant as candidate for local elections - conviction under article 20.2 § 1 of CAO, fine of RUB 10,000, final judgment of 26/08/2021 by the Supreme Court of the Chuvashia Republic
5,000
[1] Plus any tax that may be chargeable to the applicants.