Alushta City Court of the annexed Republic of Crimea arrested Nikolai Shilkov for 15 days under Part 1 Article 20.3 of the Administrative Code (public display of Nazi symbols), the Sova Center reported in a dispatch received by Kasparov.Ru on April 5.
It follows from the court ruling that Shilkov, having quarreled with his roommate, went to the mountains after work, got lost and ended up on the territory of the Crimean Nature Reserve. Near the trout farm he was stopped by two jaegers, who received a signal about a suspicious person. The huntsmen examined Shilkov’s backpack and demanded that he undress to make sure he did not have any prohibited items. He took off his clothes and the rangers saw swastika tattoos on Shilkov’s shoulders and chest, which they reported to the police. According to Shilkov, these tattoos were made in prison as a sign of his negative attitude toward the administration of the colony. He did not have them removed because of the costliness of the procedure.
According to experts from the Sova Center, those who display Nazi symbols for propaganda of Nazi ideology should be punished under Article 20.3 of the Administrative Code. Shilkov, however, did not intend to display his tattoos at all, but showed them unintentionally, undressing at the request of the rangers. In addition, the display of any symbols to just two people should hardly be considered public.
