An elected municipal councillor in Moscow, Alexeï Gorinov, was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday for denouncing Russia’s assault on Ukraine.
His sentencing comes amid a wave of repression destined to silence any criticism of the offensive decided by Vladimir Putin.
Judge Olessia Mendeleïeva found the 60-year-old defendant guilty of “disseminating clearly false information” about the Russian army using “his official duties,” and of doing so as part of an organized group motivated by “political hatred”.
“The re-education of the accused is impossible without a custodial sentence,” said the magistrate before sentencing him to seven years in a penal colony.
Since February 24, when Russian forces launched their full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the authorities in Moscow have passed a series of laws imposing heavy penalties on anyone who publicly condemns the attack, banning the use of words like “war” and “invasion”.
A lawyer by training, Mr. Gorinov was arrested in April for denouncing Moscow’s “war” and “aggression” against Ukraine on March 15, during a meeting of his district municipal assembly. The session was filmed and broadcast on YouTube, which, for the court, constituted aggravating circumstances.
