Russian dissident journalist Babchenko fined EUR 100 for throwing eggs at Russian embassy in Tallinn, Estonia
The blogger and former Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko has been fined EUR 100 for throwing eggs at the Russian embassy in Tallinn, Estonia, local news agency ERR reported on Aug. 28
Babchenko spoke about the fine while appearing on Estonian television’s ETV+ channel, ERR wrote.
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"Today I was fined EUR 100 euros. The whole thing cost me EUR 140, because I bought four eggs for 10 euros each," Babchenko said.
Babchenko said he would pay the fine because he "respects Estonian laws." He said he was not going to carry out any more such actions.
"No, I'm not a repeat offender," he said.
The fine is to be paid no later than Sept. 13, according to the court ruling. Babchenko was detained in Estonia for throwing eggs at the Russian embassy in Tallinn at the end of July.
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The blogger published an excerpt of the ruing of the Estonian court on his page on Facebook. According to the ruling, his actions were classified as a violation of public order in a public place.
"I adore Estonia,” Babchenko said. “Throwing eggs at the Russian embassy is supposed to be equivalent to ‘throwing garbage in a place not designated for this purpose, such as polluting a reservoir or a fountain.’ Yes, but (Russia) is a swamp, not a fountain."
The journalist is an ardent critic of the Kremlin regime and actively supports Ukraine in its war against the Russian invaders. He also collects money for cars and other needs of the Ukrainian military.
Babchenko left Russia In 2017 and moved to Ukraine due to his disagreements with the regime of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. In 2018, the SBU staged his murder, as Russian special services were preparing an assassination attempt on the journalist. The SBU said the staging of the murder allowed the agency to uncover the plans of the Russian special services.
Babchenko has been on Russia’s list of terrorists and extremists since 2020, and since 2023 he has been included on its register of "foreign agents."
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Babchenko left Ukraine in 2019 and went to live in Israel. He moved to Estonia recently.
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