Alexei Gorinov appeared in his glass cage at his final hearing on July 8, holding up a sign: “Do you still need this war? “. The police positioned themselves to hide it. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP
Moscow official-elect Alexei Gorinov was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday, July 8 for denouncing the Russian attack on Ukraine amid a wave of repression to silence any criticism of the offensive launched by Vladimir Putin bring to.
Judge Olessia Mendeleeva found the 60-year-old accused guilty of “spreading clearly false information” about the Russian army “in the performance of his official duties” and being part of a motivated organized group motivated by “political hatred”.
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During a meeting of the city council in mid-March, Alexei Gorinov described the conflict in Ukraine as a “war” and not as a “special military operation”, as the official terminology demands. The deputy asked his colleagues for a minute’s silence and also mentioned the deaths of children in Ukraine, which the judge said does not match what the Russian Defense Ministry says in its daily press briefings.
Investigators also accused Mr. Gorinov of calling Russia a “fascist state,” but the prosecutor’s own experts concluded during the trial that those words were not uttered. On the other hand, the judge insisted that the deputy’s opinion on the conflict had been forged “through group discussions”, allowing a conspiracy to be advanced.
“Do you still need this war? »
“The defendant’s recovery is impossible without imprisonment,” the judge said, before being sentenced to seven years in a penal colony. The lawyer, who was elected an independent member of parliament in 2017, will then be barred from holding public office for a further four years.
Alexeï Gorinov had appeared in his glass cage at this last audience, waving a sign: “Do you still need this war? “. The police have positioned themselves to hide it.
Alexei Gorinov during his audience in Moscow on July 8. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP
Specifically, on July 7, during his traditional “last words” in court, he launched: “War is the quickest instrument of human dehumanization. When the line between good and evil blurs, the result is always death. I won’t accept it. He also challenged the judges:
“It is already the fifth month of the war. We are promised victory and glory, but why then do many of my fellow citizens feel shame and guilt? Boutcha, Irpine, Hostomel, do these names mean anything to you? »
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Before the sentencing, the trial public applauded the defendant, causing those who had come to support him to be expelled from the room. At the hearing of the verdict, his wife tearfully asked him not to answer any letters she wrote him “so as not to waste too much time”.
Thousands of open cases in Russia
Since February 24, the date Russian forces invaded Ukraine, the authorities have enacted a series of laws punishing those who publicly disapprove of the attack with up to fifteen years in prison. Thousands of cases have already been opened relating to “spreading false information” or “discrediting” the armed forces. However, the vast majority of convictions are limited to fines. The verdict against Mr. Gorinov is the toughest so far.
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During a July 6 conference in Paris, the head of the human rights department of the Memorial organization, which was defunct in Russia, drew a parallel with the 1960s and 1970s in the Soviet Union: back then, in order to avoid mass Stalinist repression, it was difficult to give sentences of exemplary value to only a few people ; other opponents or dissidents were only given administrative penalties, but with the constant threat of a heavier sentence or the opening of criminal proceedings, whether in the event of a repeat offense or simple political changes.
Other opponents are waiting for the verdict
Mr Gorinov is the first opponent, an elected member who was sentenced to prison for his positions against Russian intervention in Ukraine, but other activists are currently in detention awaiting trial.
This judgment also falls within the context of the preparations for the local elections in Moscow in September. Incumbent MPs and moderate opposition figures previously considered loyal are being removed through various court processes. Another local MP, Elena Kotenotchkina, is accused of the same facts but will not be brought to justice because, like many opposition figures, she fled Russia because of the increasing repression in recent months.
Vladimir Kara-Mourza, one of the few members of the opposition who stayed in Russia, is also threatened with a lengthy prison sentence. Arrested in Moscow in mid-April and sentenced to 15 days in prison for “disobedience to the police”, he was charged with “spreading false information” about the Russian army, an offense punishable by 15 years in prison. A well-known face in the opposition to Vladimir Putin, Ilia Iachine, 38, who has already been sentenced to 15 days in prison for the same reason, fears tougher prosecution.
Another example is that of Alexandra Skotchilenko, a Saint Petersburg artist who has been jailed since April awaiting trial for posting pacifist labels in a supermarket.
This week Parliament again passed a series of texts providing for heavy prison sentences in very vague language to quell calls to crack down on his security or even “confidential” cooperation with foreigners.
Since February, Russia has also blocked many Russian and foreign media outlets on its territory, as well as some of the largest social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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