The Constitutional Court confirmed the right of a person who refuses to give a bribe to the status of a victim
Constitutional Court (CC) of Russia decidedthat citizens who refused an offer to give a bribe and reported this to law enforcement agencies have the right to the status of a victim in a criminal case. The decision was made following the consideration of a complaint from Taganrog resident Alexander Tkachenko.
Alexander Tkachenko was offered to give a bribe to police officers in the amount of 2.5 million rubles in order to avoid criminal prosecution. The man reported this to law enforcement agencies and agreed to participate in the operational experiment.
In 2022, in court against an employee of the Taganrog linear department of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for Transport, Alexander Tkachenko acted as a witness who offered to give him a bribe. He insisted that he should be recognized as a victim, but the courts did not reveal any harm caused to him.
According to the decision of the Constitutional Court, inducement to give a bribe by an official “cannot be regarded as not causing moral harm and moral suffering.” This makes it possible to recognize a citizen as a victim, taking into account the timeliness of the application to law enforcement agencies and active assistance, follows from the resolution.
