Defamation of the Russian army can be punished with imprisonment Photo: Kommersant
On Wednesday, the independent Russian publication Mediazon reported that more than 10,000 court cases have already been opened in Russia for “discrediting” the armed forces after March 2022. This confirms the large-scale suppression of critical voices regarding the war in Ukraine, as evidenced by court records.
Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, repression against individuals who spread “false information” about the military or “discredit” the armed forces has significantly intensified. By the end of 2022, the Russian police had already opened 5,614 cases on such accusations. By the end of 2023, their number increased to 8,590. The threshold of 10,000 legal proceedings was exceeded in the first week of August, Mediazona reports.
These cases are opened for alleged violation of an article of the administrative code of Russia, which prohibits “discrediting” the armed forces. Those found guilty risk a fine of 300 to 500 euros. However, in the event of repeated violations within a year, the penalty may include up to seven years in prison.
The human rights organization “OVD-Info” reported that criminal proceedings for recidivism have already been opened against 194 people. One of the most famous cases is the case of 71-year-old Russian dissident Oleg Orlov, co-founder of the human rights organization “Memorial” and laureate of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize. Orlov was sentenced to two and a half years in prison in February after his outspoken condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, on August 1, he was released as a result of the exchange of prisoners between Western countries and Moscow.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, thousands of people in Russia have been threatened, sanctioned or condemned for their opposition to the Kremlin. According to “Memorial”, there are 762 political prisoners in Russia, which indicates systematic repression against critics of the regime.
