Russia’s TV Rain pays fine over Leningrad siege poll

Independent Russian television channel TV Rain (Dozhd) has paid a fine for 100,000 rubles (approx. US$1,300) to two Russian pensioners over its poll on the siege of Leningrad.

In January 2014, TV Rain conducted a controversial poll, asking whether the city of Leningrad should have been surrendered during the Second World War in order to save lives. After the survey sparked anger among St Petersburg residents, numerous members of the State Duma urged Yury Chaika, Russian Prosecutor General, to launch an investigation into the channel.

According to head of the Federal Bailiff Service Arthur Parfenchikov, he took the case under his personal control after media speculation that TV Rain had not complied with the court’s ruling in favour of the pensioners. Mr Parfenchikov reported the news of the fine being paid on his Twitter account yesterday.

Source: The Moscow Times