Lisbon City Council Fights Back Against €1 Million Fine Over Russian Activist Data Leak

Lisbon City Council Appeals €1 Million Fine

The Lisbon City Council has announced its decision to appeal a €1 million fine imposed by the Lisbon Administrative Court for sharing data of Russian activists during the controversial "Russiagate" incident. This was confirmed by the municipality to the Lusa agency on Tuesday.

The council, led by Carlos Moedas, stated, "The municipality confirms it will appeal the fine related to the transmission of Russian activists' data in 2021, during Fernando Medina's presidency." Moedas, a member of the Social Democratic Party, described the incident, which took place under the previous socialist administration, as "unacceptable" and stressed the importance of protecting the reputation of the institution and the residents of Lisbon.

In early August, when the council first acknowledged the ruling, it stated it was assessing whether to appeal the €1,027,500 judgment. Moedas, who has been in office since 2021, expressed his regret over the "heavy legacy" left behind and committed to defending the interests of Lisbon's residents.

In January 2022, the National Data Protection Commission (CNPD) had also issued a €1.25 million fine against the council for violating the General Data Protection Regulation by sharing personal data of protest organizers with third parties. The CNPD identified 225 infractions related to communications made by the municipality during public events.

The fine stemmed from a complaint lodged with the CNPD on March 19, 2021, concerning the disclosure of personal information to the Russian embassy in Portugal and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding a demonstration held outside the embassy. Activists protesting for the release of Alexey Navalny, a prominent Russian opposition figure, argued that the council's actions endangered their safety and that of their families in Russia. The initial fine was reduced by €222,500 due to the expiration of some infractions.