Russian police have opened more than 3,300 cases for “discrediting” the military, an NGO said on Friday, an offense that came into force in early March to silence critics of the offensive in Ukraine.
The NGO “Setevye Svobody”, which provides legal assistance to victims of political repression in Russia, said it calculated this figure between March 4 and July 14, in the databases of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“On average, the Russian police make 35 reports for discrediting the army per business day,” the NGO said on its Telegram account.
This offense is punishable by fines of up to 100,000 rubles (1,700 euros) for an ordinary natural person and up to one million rubles (17,000 euros) for a legal person. It is up to a court, after a hearing, to set the fine.
More than 1500 fines issued
According to the NGO, the Russian courts have already ordered more than 1,500 fines for “discrediting” the army for a total of more than 50 million rubles (845,000 euros).
The slightest criticism of the offensive in Ukraine, in public space or on social networks, can lead to persecution.
According to the specialized NGO OVD-Info, about 200 people who denounced the intervention in Ukraine have also been prosecuted in Russia in the context of criminal cases, punishable by very severe prison sentences.
On July 8, a Muscovite elected official, Alexeï Gorinov, was sentenced to seven years in prison for “spreading false information” about the Russian military after publicly condemning the assault on Ukraine.
Source: BFM TV
