The Russian newspaper, Komsomolskaya Pravda, reports that yesterday the Kirov district court of the Russian city of Yaroslavl, fined Andrei Alexeev, one of the participants of the flashmob that took place on June 26 in Yaroslavl; the day of Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s 50^th birthday. The fine amounts to 20,000 roubles.

On the day of Khodorkovsky’s birthday Andrei Alexeev and others placed 50 white ribbons with Khodorkovsky’s initials and a number 50 on the fence around the Yaroslavl regional court.

Andrei Alexeev commented on the decision via his video blog The Voice of Yaroslavl:

“I do not agree with the court’s decision. The court has decided that our simple walk along Sovetskaya Street is a political procession. I intend to appeal this decision in a higher court.”

Alexeev’s video message in Russian is below