Russian lawyer gets 7 years for critiquing Ukraine war
Russian lawyer Dmitry Talantov, who criticized Russian military actions in Ukraine online, has been sentenced to seven years in prison. He was convicted of spreading "fake news" about the Russian army and inciting hatred.
8:12 AM EST, November 28, 2024
The verdict for Dmitry Talantov, a lawyer and the head of the Udmurtia Bar Association, who has been in prison since April 2022, was reported by the independent service Novaya Gazeta.Europe. The lawyer was held accountable for calling Russian aggression in Ukraine a war.
Formally, he was charged with disseminating false information about the Russian army. He was also accused of inciting hatred.
7 years in prison for Russian lawyer: he spoke about the war in Ukraine
As reported by Russian independent media shortly after Talantov's arrest, he was caught by Russian services commenting on the actions of the Russian army on the Ukrainian front. He dared to spread information about the crimes in Bucha.
The proceedings against him were initiated because of five posts on social media platforms. They conveyed various information regarding the Russian invasion.
The verdict, delivered on Thursday, entails the imprisonment of the 63-year-old lawyer for seven years. The prosecutor had demanded a 12-year sentence.
Talantov did not receive the highest possible sentence. Journalist Ivan Safronov, whom the lawyer defended in 2022, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for alleged treason.
For a similar offense—speaking about the actions of the Russian army in Ukraine and calling Putin's "operation" a war—Moscow councilor Alexei Gorinov also received seven years in a labor camp. In March 2022, during a meeting of the Krasnoselsky district council in Moscow, Gorinov's motion led to a minute of silence to commemorate the victims of aggression.
