Court fines Iranian man fo wearing Balenciaga shirt with Ukrainian flag in Moscow

An Iranian national was fined in Moscow for wearing a T-shirt with the image of the coat of arms and flag of Ukraine. The man said that he purchased the T-shirt on the Internet, but he did not understand what was depicted on it. The court ordered the man to pay the fine of 50,000 rubles ($560). The court also ruled to destroy the shirt, RBC reports.

The Iranian citizen was fined in the case of disseminating deliberately false information about the Russian army. He wore a Balenciaga T-shirt with the flag of Ukraine on it in the city center, the press service of Moscow courts of general jurisdiction said.

Citizen of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossi Khidari was found guilty of violating Part 1 of Art. 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. He committed public actions discrediting the use of the Russian Armed Forces, the press service clarified.

Court officers confiscated the T-shirt for its subsequent destruction.

As follows from the case, the man was wearing the shirt in the center of Moscow. The shirt featured the coat of arms of Ukraine on the sleeves and the Ukrainian flag on the front.

The court found that the shirt was an element of visual propaganda and "clearly expressed a negative attitude towards the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.”

The man himself agreed in violation. He explained that he bought the T-shirt on the Balenciaga website and had no knowledge what the images on the item meant. He arrived in Moscow a week ago on a tour.

The man can appeal the decision to a higher authority; the court ruling has not yet entered into force.