A Russian who opposes Russia’s offensive against Ukraine, Mijail Krigerwas sentenced on appeal to seven years in prison, several NGOs reported, in a context of repression of voices critical of the Kremlin.
According to the NGO MemorialKriger proclaimed shortly before the sentencing that Russian President Vladimir Putin was the “world’s No. 1 terrorist” and shouted “Glory to Ukraine!”
Arrested in November 2022, the accused had been sentenced in May to 7 years in prison for “advocacy of terrorism” and “public incitement to extremism”, for having written on Facebook, before the February 2022 offensive, that he wanted to see Putin hanged.
These messages, according to the accusation, also justified an attack committed against the antenna of the Russian security services (FSB) in Archangel (northwest) in 2018, and another carried out in 2019 against the FSB headquarters in Moscow.
However, the interested party stated during his trial in May that these messages had been used as a “pretext” to punish his “anti-war” and “pro-Ukrainian” militancy, and reiterated that he hopes to see Putin hanged, like “other war criminals.” ”.
On Tuesday, a military appeals court in the city of Balashikhain the Moscow region, maintained his conviction and the seven-year prison sentence pronounced in the first instance, announced Memorial and OVD-Info, NGOs specialized in monitoring political repression.
The repression campaign by the Russian authorities, which began years ago, was accentuated after the assault against Ukraine in February 2022.
Almost all prominent opponents have been imprisoned or forced into exile, and thousands of Russians have been prosecuted for expressing their disagreement with the Kremlin.
According to Memorial, there are currently at least 634 political prisoners in the country.
Meanwhile, the Russian army is doing its best on the outskirts of Donetsk, where it is trying to surround the Ukrainian forces in the town of Donetsk by all means. Avdivkain one of the most important battles of this war.
“It is a key battle in this war. There have been many, but I think this is one of the most important. The way I see it, It is Russia’s latest attempt to seize the initiative on the front”Mikhailo Podoliak, advisor to the Office of the President of Ukraine, told the UNIAN agency.
The “active defense”, as defined by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has turned into a general offensive in Avdivka, which for the moment has not been able to overcome the fortifications built by the Ukrainians over the last eight years.
The arrival of autumn, accompanied by rain and humidity, makes the advance of the motorized brigades difficult, which facilitates the defensive work of the Ukrainians in Donetsk, so time is against the Russians.
(With information from AFP)
Source-www.infobae.com