A Russian judge has reportedly been forced to resign after a nude photograph of her was shared on the internet.
Irina Devayeva stepped down in March when the picture of her was seen by her superiors.
According to reports, the chairman of the court, Olga Bykovskay, and the chairman of the Moscow City Court, Olga Yegorova, discovered the photo of her 'bare chest' online.
Advert
Following a meeting earlier this year, it's understood that Devayeva chose to quit 'at her own request'.
Speaking to Russian news site znak.com, a source who was at the dismissal hearing at Moscow City Court said it's thought the former official's phone had been hacked.
They said: "This photo was taken long before Devayeva [in 2016] became a judge.
Advert
"Then, the stamp and certificate were immediately taken away from Irina. Devayeva did not publish this photo anywhere. Presumably, her iPhone 10 was hacked, a photo was taken out, shown to the chairman.
"When the question of dismissal of Devayeva was being considered, Yegorova shouted that she would not allow such depravity among the judges. But who knows what personal photographs in general.
"Of course, she was forced to write a letter of resignation."
It has also been reported that Devayeva had previously been under pressure following a decision she made in August 2018, when she sanctioned the transfer of two teenagers - who had been accused of being part of an alleged extremist group - from detention to house arrest.
According to reports, it's claimed she may have had a 'tense relationship' with her bosses.
Some people on social media have come out in support of Devayeva. They claim she has been the victim of hacking and should not be punished.
Advert
One person posted: "Hacking a phone is not an offence, no? And what about the right to privacy? Or did the old Soviet hypocrisy never disappear? Or is it just that the phrase 'honest judge' is now an oxymoron?"
A second critic wrote on Facebook: "The system pushes out the honest."
While another added: "How easy it turned out to end the career of an inconvenient individual in Russia. All it takes is hacking their phone or filming them with a hidden camera - or easier yet, showing intimate photos to the bosses."
Znak.com reportedly tried to phone Devayeva and spoke to a man claiming to be her husband who said they were not willing to comment on the story.
Featured Image Credit: NOVAYA GAZETATopics: Viral, World News, Interesting, Weird, Russia