A Moscow court on Tuesday sentenced a Russian student to eight and a half years in prison for posting information on the Russian army deemed "
false
" on Telegram, another example of the repression of voices critical of the conflict in Ukraine.
A student at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics at Moscow's Lomonosov University (MGU), Dmitry Ivanov, 23, was found guilty of spreading "false information about the Russian military on the grounds of political
hatred
“, indicated the official Tass agency, citing the judicial body.
Multiple persecutions
This offense, introduced after the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in February 2022, has already been used on several occasions to sentence people who publicly criticized the conflict to heavy prison terms.
On his Telegram channel "
Protestny MGU
" ("
Protesting MGU
"), created to denounce violations of student rights, Dmitry Ivanov notably published critical messages against the Russian operation in Ukraine and shared statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The student pleaded not guilty throughout his trial.
The Russian offensive in Ukraine is officially called in Russia a "
special military operation
", and the authorities have introduced a law providing for up to 15 years in prison for any publication of information on the Russian army deemed "
false
".
Thousands of Russians who publicly criticized the conflict or alleged abuses by Russian forces in Ukraine have been tried and fined under these laws.
Dozens of others, often prosecuted after having received several fines, have been sentenced to heavy prison terms or are awaiting trial.
In early December, opponent Ilia Yachine was sentenced to eight and a half years in a penal colony in Moscow for having criticized the military offensive against Ukraine on YouTube.
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