«Autodafe» – a painting by the Spanish painter Francisco Goya, painted between 1812 and 1819. Source: Google Art Project.

18+ The PRESENT MATERIAL (INFORMATION) IS PRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED AND (OR) DIRECTED BY FOREIGN AGENT MINKIN ALEKSANDR VIKTOROVICH OR RELATES TO THE ACTIVITIES OF THE FOREIGN AGENT MINKIN ALEKSANDR VIKTOROVICH.

And who are the judges? Griboedov “Woe from Wit”. Judge – a person in a robe. It is ordered to address him as “your honor.” This is not a whim, politeness, or custom. This is the law. In my case – it is the Code of Administrative Procedure of the Russian Federation. Article 144. Procedure in a court hearing. Point 3. Participants in the judicial proceedings address the court with the words “Dear Court,” and to the judge – “Your Honor.” That is, if there are three in robes, they are “Dear Court”; but if one, then “Your Honor.” (Such a detailed explanation is necessary here twice: so that people understand everything exactly, and non-people could not nitpick.)

Next will be described the present: the year 2026, Russia, Moscow, Second Cassation Court of General Jurisdiction (this is the official name of the important body, hereinafter VKSOY). But first, a brief historical-cultural-ethical excursion. The Excursion To the Courts and Judges is a huge and important part of world literature – and not by chance. Judges in the most famous books do not look very good. They are rarely seen as dumb, but often as dishonorable, amoral, greedy, and even malicious. It is hardly a coincidence. Why would great authors slander the court system? In Pushkin’s “Dubrovsky”: The cruel rich man Troekurov seizes the estate from a defenseless old man, a war invalid. This raider seizure is formalized by a corrupt judge. Pushkin includes the decision of the corrupt judge in his novel in full (all 1,500 words), forewarning readers: “We place it entirely, assuming that it will be pleasant for everyone to see one of the ways by which we can be deprived of property in Russia, over which we have an indisputable right.” Bribe-taker Lyapkin-Tyapkin – a judge in Gogol’s “The Government Inspector”. Judges in “The Brothers Karamazov”, Tolstoy, Dickens, Nabokov, Rabelais, Charles de Coster, Swift, in Chekhov’s stories… Lying, soulless, often sadistic… It’s not a coincidence. Why is the object of literary (and human) anger and contempt precisely the judge? Are there not enough vile, lying, and soulless businessmen, athletes, teachers, officers, journalists, officials? Perhaps the reason is that “a lying judge – not only a liar but also a traitor. He swears to serve the law and justice (as businessmen, as you know, do not give such oaths). So when a judge delivers an unjust sentence, he not only punishes the innocent but also betrays the idea of justice – undermining the foundation of human society, destroying the entire edifice, destroying faith in justice. Not naive; they don’t keep the naive there. The scoundrel understands what he is doing. Therefore, our judges (Russia, 21st century) have got into the habit of reading sentences and rulings extremely quietly and incredibly quickly. So that nothing could be heard in the courtroom, neither afterwards on the defense lawyers’ dictaphones. The criminal judge is comparable only to the criminal doctor. They give the Hippocratic oath but then not only do not save the sick but, on the contrary, maim and kill. The most famous example is Dr. Mengele (Dr. Death); but we also have, although not as famous, – they can torture in prison, refusing assistance, necessary medications (read the stories of Magnitsky, Alexanyan…), or administering injections of such “medicines” that turn the victim into a vegetable. That’s it, the excursion is over. We descend from these heights into the swamp, into today’s lowland. Protocols, fines, courts.

Taganka, why did you ruin me?! A criminal song.
The district tentacles of the Ministry of Justice in 2024 drew up two protocols against me for the absence of a “foreign agent stamp” in publications on my Telegram channel. One protocol was for texts about Vysotsky and about “Eugene Onegin”, and the second… more on that later. By law, Ministry of Justice employees must draw up protocols on a foreign agent in his presence. But I was not present – I did not know, was not informed, drawn up without me, sent to court. According to the law, the court must decide on cases in the presence of the sinner. But I was not present – I did not know, was not informed (although the court claimed that something was sent). As a result, in July 2024, Judge Spitsyna S.S. of the Tagansky District Court fined me 30,000 rubles for Vysotsky and Onegin. And in December 2024, Judge Anokhina A.M. of the Tagansky District Court – 45,000 (for what – you’ll find out soon). I knew nothing about the protocols and the courts that had taken place. Suddenly on May 23, 2025, I couldn’t pay for food at the store. The card was blocked. I went to Sberbank – it turned out, a bailiff had imposed an arrest. Only on May 27, 2025, information appeared on the official website of judicial officers (FSSP of Russia) that Alexander Minkin is a debtor. I appealed both decisions to the Moscow City Court. I waited a long time. Finally, in November 2025, two judges on different days rejected the complaints in different protocols. I went to the third instance: appealed to VKSOY (Second Cassation Court). Silence lasted for six months. And then two envelopes arrived in the mail. Two judges of VKSOY on different days in different appeals equally rejected them. Even too equally. Now you will see for yourself. Here is what Judge M.A. Zyulin – a judge of VKSOY on April 21, 2026, wrote: “From the materials presented, it follows that Minkin A.V. on June 29, 2024 at 01:20 disseminated materials (information) on the Internet in the social network “Telegram” without indicating that these materials were produced and distributed by a foreign agent, or relate to the activities of a foreign agent.” How many materials do you think I could produce and distribute in 20 minutes in the second hour of the night? I answer: there was only one material. The plural judge uses for magical intimidation: a foreign agent! at night! materials! Furthermore, Judge Zyulin wrote: “Since Minkin AV did not appear at the court hearing, the case was properly considered by the judge in his absence, in compliance with the requirements of Part 2 of Article 25.1 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses. Thus, Minkin A.V. exercised his procedural rights at his discretion, the right to defense was not violated. The arguments of the complaint that previously Minkin A.V. did not commit such violations and when publishing indicated that the materials (information) were produced and (or) distributed by a foreign agent or relate to the activities of a foreign agent, and also that the messenger automatically breaks the publication into several messages when reaching a certain number of characters do not refute the conclusions of the judicial instances about the presence in Minkin’s actions of the administrative offense provided for by Part 4 of Article 19.34 of the Code of the Russian Federation on administrative offenses.”

Francisco Goya, “Disasters of War No. 16”, drawings from the series “Autodafe”. From open sources.

We have identified two gross errors here. In both cases, the singular inexplicably turns into the plural: “the case was properly considered” and “the conclusions of the judicial instances.” But we are not in school; to hell with grammar. Something else is more important. Judge Zyulin refused to consider the arguments of my complaint that “the messenger automatically breaks the publication into several messages when reaching a certain number of characters”. How could the judge write this? In my complaint, there was no such argument. It could not and should not have been there? What Zyulin calls my “materials” is actually one sentence, six words. Here is the full text posted by the foreign agent Minkin on June 29, 2024 at 01:20: “Subscribe and you will receive everything automatically.” The messenger could not break this into parts because it allows 4096 characters at a time, while I had one hundred times less. For these six words, a Tagansky judge fined me 45,000, the Moscow City Court and the Second Cassation Court found it fair. It’s very simple: in all the Decisions and Rulings, judges write “materials” in the plural and ignore the fact that I only live on a pension, and it is less than the fine… “Materials”?! – yes, if we count by words, it will turn out to be six materials, and if by letters – a whole forty! And if by conscience?.. Think there isn’t any? There is! Each judge solemnly (!!!) takes an oath in public, here is its text: “I solemnly swear to perform my duties honestly and conscientiously, to administer justice, obeying only the law, to be impartial and fair, as my duty as a judge and my conscience dictate.” “ Fairness? To leave a 79-year-old person without adequate means even for food for six meaningless words—is this justice? Of course it is! If the Second Western District Military (!!!) Court sentenced a woman to six years of imprisonment, either for a humorous play or sad poems, depriving her 90-year-old grandmother and two daughters (both with mental disorders) of care, then my fines are a state favor.

“War Disasters No. 44.” Source: Museo del Prado, Madrid.

Caught red-handed. But where did Zuylin’s ruling get the words about breaking a publication into several messages? The mysterious judicial casket opens very simply. A week before Zuylin, Judge S.V. Sorokin of the Second Cassation Court on April 16, 2026, ruled against me and wrote: “Since Minkin A.V. did not appear at the court hearing, the case was properly considered by the judge in his absence, in compliance with the requirements of Part 2 of Article 25.1 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses. Thus, Minkin A.V. exercised his procedural rights at his discretion, the right to defense was not violated. The arguments of the complaint that previously Minkin A.V. did not commit such violations and when publishing indicated that the materials (information) were produced and (or) distributed by a foreign agent or relate to the activities of a foreign agent, and also that the messenger automatically breaks the publication into several messages when reaching a certain number of characters do not refute the conclusions of the judicial instances about the presence in Minkin’s actions of the administrative offense provided for by Part 4 of Article 19.34 of the Code of the Russian Federation on administrative offenses.” This is not a mere coincidence. This is a letter-by-letter match. And in my view, this is an official crime.

Flaying skin from a corrupt judge. Artist: Gerard David, 1498.

Students are severely punished for cheating. Up to expulsion. For cheating and giving an opportunity to cheat. Punishment in school (OGE or EGE): annulment of exam results with no possibility of retake. An administrative fine of 3000 to 5000 rubles is possible. If those who organize (teachers, etc.) turn a blind eye to cheating, they can be fined: from 20,000 to 40,000 rubles. But if judges are caught red-handed? One allowed to cheat, another cheated – and nothing? Is it permissible? This is not a coincidence, not an error. This is standard practice. Before reaching the VKSOY position, one must serve years of proving obedience, “understanding,” obedience to orders (always verbal orders). “Who are the judges? Why did you embark on this slippery, sticky path? For money? out of fear of superiors? convincing yourself that it is necessary “for the good of the cause” (what cause?); for the happiness of the Motherland? – it is impossible to believe in such a motivation. Those who lived in the USSR remember the slogan that adorned the streets, houses, school walls: PARTY – MIND, HONOR, CONSCIENCE OF OUR ERA. Before you was a chief – an alcoholic, bribe-taker, syphilitic, complete idiot – but he had a party card in his pocket, so this guy was – the mind, honor, and conscience of my era?

Such a fresh example. On May 26, 2026, the Qualification Collegium of Judges of the Chelyabinsk Region dismissed Judge Vyacheslav Busuev for “several payments for charitable purposes,” including to the Evgeny Roizman Fund (recognized as a “foreign agent” in Russia). The Collegium considered these transfers as “engaging in political activities in the form of financing.” However, Roizman’s fund has never been involved in politics. It only helped the seriously ill (mostly children), raised money for medications and surgeries. For medications! – clear? The sacked Busuev also mentioned the “practically powerless position of judges”: judges, according to him, are not protected from the arbitrariness of local leaders.

The judge was expelled by fellow judges – this is a fact. But the charitable transfers to the Roizman fund may be just a pretense. It may well be that these judges were wary of vulnerability. Sympathized with other sick children? One who can sympathize with them can also sympathize with the defendant. In the characterization, it should be written “ruthless.”

The second excursion – to ancient times, almost to the reptiles. In Herodotus’ “Histories,” there is a story about a judge named Sisamn, who delivered an unjust sentence. King Cambyses ordered his skin to be flayed alive. Then this skin was used to cover the judge’s seat so that the next judge, feeling it with his buttocks, would know what he is sitting on and judge fairly. ** Inserted by the authorities of the Russian Federation into the register of “foreign agents”.