Russia: 5 and a half years in prison for a pensioner for anti-war statements

In Russia, the suppression of the slightest protests continues. A Russian court on Monday sentenced a 72-year-old pensioner to 5 1/2 years in prison on charges of broadcasting two messages considered hostile to Russia’s offensive in Ukraine, in the midst of a crackdown on all criticism. The press service of the court in the city of Shakhty, Rostov region (South-West), indicated that Evgenia Mayboroda was found guilty of “disseminating false information” about the army and calls for “extremist actions.”

She will have to serve her sentence in a general regime colony for “publishing content on her VKontakte page, the Russian equivalent of Facebook.” According to the specialized public organization Network Freedoms, which helps political prisoners, the defendants shared “information on the number of killed Russian soldiers” and an “emotional video” about the conflict.

His brother is “under the rubble”

Evgeniya Mayboroda explained that she published the messages because “her brother was trapped under the rubble of a building destroyed by shelling in Dnieper,” in east-central Ukraine, Network Freedoms reported on Telegram. She pleaded guilty but refused to admit that she acted out of “hatred,” as the prosecution accused her, the NGO said.

Since the Kremlin’s attack on Ukraine in February 2022, thousands of Russians who criticized the conflict have been fined and dozens of others sentenced to long prison terms. Most opposition figures are in prison or have left the country.