This Friday, a Russian military court sentenced to eight years in prison a man accused of publishing online messages condemning the massacre in Bucha (Ukraine) and President Vladimir Putin.
“The sentence is eight years in prison in a general regime colony,” said a representative of the Central Military Court of Yekaterinburg (Ural), who was contacted by telephone by the French agency AFP.
Defendant Richard Rose, arrested in mid-April 2022, was found guilty of “disseminating false information” about the Russian army and “calling for terrorist acts on the Internet.”
Rose was accused of posting a video on the social network Instagram condemning the killing of civilians in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, during the withdrawal of Russian troops in the spring of 2022.
After reposting the video, he added a message swearing at “Russian fascists” who he said were behind the massacre, according to OVD-Info, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that documents political repression in Russia.
The discovery of civilian bodies on the streets and in mass graves in Bucha led to an international investigation into the massacre, which Russia has always denied.
According to OVD-Info, Rose was also charged in December 2022 with “calls for terrorist acts” for commenting on Instagram that Putin should be “physically eliminated” to end his actions.
Rose was detained in the city of Kirov along with his wife Maria, who was also prosecuted for speaking out against the Russian offensive in Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022.
Maria Rose was awaiting trial under judicial supervision and in December left Russia illegally with the couple’s son, taking refuge in Armenia.
In the spring, she was detained by Armenian police after she was put on the Russian wanted list.
Detained for several hours along with her son under threat of extradition, she was eventually released and fled to Poland, OVD-Info reports.
Since the invasion of Ukraine, OVD-Info recorded 19,810 arrests in Russia as of September 17 this year for anti-war stances at demonstrations, posting on social networks, displaying symbols or private discussions.
Key opposition figures to Putin have fled Russia or are in prison, such as Alexei Navalny and Vladimir Kara-Murza, both serving long prison sentences.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.