A Russian court on Thursday sentenced to three years in prison a man who had broadcast messages via pirate radio denouncing the offensive in Ukraine, followed in Russia in recent months by a strong acceleration of repression.
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Vladimir Roumiantsev, a 61-year-old worker living in Vologda (north-west), was found guilty of spreading “false information” with “hateful motives” about the Russian army, the press service of the courts of the region.
“Between April 7 and April 13, the defendant broadcast from his apartment in Vologda, via a specific radio frequency, false information about the negative actions of members of the armed forces”, indicated this source, specifying that he acted on erroneous information on “robberies with violence”, “destruction of localities” or even “forced sexual relations with young women” in Ukraine.
According to the court, Vladimir Roumiantsev had also posted on his VKontakte account, the main Russian social network, “six videos with false information saying that members of the Russian army in Ukraine rob, kill and rape civilians”.
The defendant pleaded not guilty and had been in pre-trial detention since July. The prosecution had requested six years in prison against him.
Since the attack on Ukraine began in February, thousands of people who spoke out against the conflict have been briefly imprisoned in Russia or fined.
According to the specialized NGO OVD-Info, more than 380 others are being prosecuted in criminal cases carrying heavy penalties. Most opposition figures have fled the country or are in prison.