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Russia sentences 63 year old man to 7 years in prison over 2 anti-war social media posts. [1]
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Date: 2023-03-30
Radio Free Europe reports that Mikhail Simonov, a 63-year old Russian man has been sentenced to 7 years in prison for “discrediting the Russian armed forces.”
Simonov had allegedly posted two comments to posts about the shelling of Kyiv and Mariupol last year, saying "Killing children and women, we sing songs on Channel One. We, Russia, have become atheists. Forgive us, Lord!" and "Russian pilots are bombing children."
Two women who read the posts forwarded them to Russian authorities.
As support for Simonov’s supposed “hatred of Russia,” anti-Putin posts Simonov had made in 2020 were added to the case evidence.
Simonov had been living and working in Belarus, but visited Moscow in November 2022, at which time he was detained by authorities.
In his final comments before sentencing, Simonov said "I was driven only by the understanding that human life is priceless."
Two social media comments and some three year old criticism of Putin earns an old man 7 years in a Russian prison.
For those wondering why Russians don’t speak out against the war much, this is why.
Also, in case you missed it, last week Alexey Moskalyov, a Russian father was sentence to 2 years for anti-war pictures drawn by his 12 year old daughter in art class at school that include drawings of missiles and the slogans “No to war” and “Glory to Ukraine.” Alexey’s house was then searched and he was then accused of making anti-Russian posts online as well and charged, as was Simonov, under the law prohibiting “discreding of the Russian armed forces.”
Alexey, a single father, is currently being held under house arrest and his daughter has been sent to an orphanage.
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/3/30/2161098/-Russia-sentences-63-year-old-man-to-7-years-in-prison-over-2-anti-war-social-media-posts
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