On Tuesday, Russian justice sentenced in absentia the opponent and founder of the independent publication “Mediazon” Petro Verzilov to eight years and four months in prison for spreading “fake news” about the Russian armed forces.
As Mediazona reports on its website, the verdict was handed down by the Basmanny District Court of Moscow, the same court that last November sentenced Verzilov to eight and a half years in prison on the same charge, the sentence was overturned for vices by the higher court, which ordered a retrial case review, reports Agerpres.
The activist was convicted in absentia for two messages on X (ex-Twitter) and two posts on Instagram about the massacre in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, north of Kyiv, for which Russia has always denied responsibility.
Petro Verzilov, one of the four Pussy Riot activists who stormed Luzhniki Stadium in 2018 during the World Cup final between France and Croatia, has accused Russian military intelligence (MI) of poisoning him that year.
He was first hospitalized in a hospital in Moscow in critical condition with suspicion of poisoning, and then he was taken to Berlin by medical plane, the quoted press agency recalls.
____
- Follow the latest events of the war in Ukraine LIVETEXT on HotNews.ro
Source: Hot News
James Springer is a renowned author and opinion writer, known for his bold and thought-provoking articles on a wide range of topics. He currently works as a writer at 247 news reel, where he uses his unique voice and sharp wit to offer fresh perspectives on current events. His articles are widely read and shared and has earned him a reputation as a talented and insightful writer.