A Russian court on Wednesday sentenced a documentary filmmaker to three years in prison for posting messages on social media that condemned mass killings attributed to the Russian army in Ukraine, AFP reported.
The Vybor District Court of St. Petersburg found Vsevolod Korolev guilty of “spreading false information” about the Russian military.
According to the NGO “Memorial”, Vsevolod Korolev, known for documentaries, was arrested in July 2022.
The 36-year-old actor, in particular, made films about repression, including the artist Oleksandra Skotchilenko and the journalist Maria Ponomarenko, who are serving long terms in Russia for condemning Vladimir Putin’s attack on Kyiv.
According to the indictment, from mid-March to mid-April 2022, Korolev published “false” reports on the Russian social network Vkontakte about “mass murders of civilians” in the Ukrainian cities of Bucha, Borodyanka, and Donetsk.
Ukraine accuses Russian forces of killing hundreds of civilians in Buch and Borodyanka near Kyiv when they occupied those towns in the spring of 2022.
Despite the fact that many independent publications and public organizations confirm these accusations, Moscow denies them, condemning the staging, and those who criticize the offensive are sentenced to fines and prison terms.
Also, a Russian court on Wednesday sentenced a woman from St. Petersburg to eight days in prison for writing “no war” in a ballot during the country’s presidential election as a sign of protest against President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Dzerzhinsky District Court in St. Petersburg said it had sentenced Oleksandr Chiryatiev to eight days in jail and a fine of 40,000 rubles (399 euros) for hooliganism and “discrediting the Russian armed forces.”
A court in Volgograd (southwest) sentenced a man accused of “spreading false information” to five years in prison on Tuesday after he posted messages on social media condemning mass killings of civilians in Ukraine.
According to the RIA Novosti agency, this man refused to plead guilty and unsuccessfully tried to appeal the decision.
Source: Hot News
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