Importance Score: 48 / 100 🔵
Russian Hairdresser Sentenced to Jail for Alleged “Fake News” about Armed Forces
In St Petersburg, a hairdresser has been handed a prison term of five years and two months for purportedly disseminating false information concerning the Russian military. This sentencing highlights the intensifying restrictions on free speech and the crackdown on dissent within Russia since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine. The case underscores the Kremlin’s rigorous measures to suppress opposing viewpoints and control the narrative surrounding the war.
Crackdown on Dissent and “Fake News”
Anna Alexandrova, the accused, denied allegations of posting eight anti-war messages on social media. She asserted that the legal action originated from a disagreement over property with a neighbor. The neighbor informed the BBC that a formal complaint was filed with prosecuting authorities after Alexandrova reportedly sent her daughter photographs related to the conflict in Ukraine.
Russian legislation criminalizing the dissemination of “fake news” about the military and the “discrediting” of the armed forces was swiftly implemented following the commencement of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since the war’s outbreak, the Russian government has escalated its suppression of opposition, imprisoning numerous critics, activists, and journalists, while effectively silencing independent news outlets.
Journalists Imprisoned in Separate Case
In a related development on Tuesday, four journalists received jail sentences of five and a half years in Moscow. They were convicted of involvement with an “extremist organization.” Antonina Favorskaya, Kostatin Gabov, Sergey Karelin, and Artyom Kriger, maintained they were conducting journalistic work. However, the court determined they had produced content utilized by an anti-corruption organization established by Alexei Navalny, a prominent opponent of President Putin.
Alexei Navalny died in custody in an Arctic penal colony last year. Favorskaya had captured footage of Navalny via video link in court the day before his death, which was the last instance he was seen alive. Favorskaya, affiliated with the independent media platform SotaVision, was later detained in March 2024 while filming at the cemetery where Navalny was buried.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
Widespread Impact of Restrictive Laws
Russia’s stringent laws targeting dissent have affected individuals from diverse backgrounds. Accusations and denunciations have resulted in imprisonment, with instances of citizens informing on colleagues and acquaintances, echoing practices reminiscent of the Soviet era. The case of Anna Alexandrova, a 47-year-old mother of two, exemplifies this trend.
Alexandrova was initially detained in November 2023 concerning eight posts shared through anonymous profiles on the Russian social network VKontakte. Her lawyer, Anastasia Pilipenko, stated that during a court visit in September, the case stemmed from a local property dispute. “One party approached the police initially without success. This changed only after the ‘fake news about the army’ charge emerged,” Pilipenko explained.
Echoes of Soviet Era Tactics
The situation evokes comparisons with the Soviet past. Initially, Anna Alexandrova and her neighbor were reportedly allied in opposing local deforestation efforts. However, their relationship deteriorated into a bitter dispute.
Despite Alexandrova’s denial of sending war-related images, the court imposed a penal colony sentence and prohibited her from posting online content for three years. Meanwhile, legal representatives for Alexei Gorinov, a Moscow councilor who received the first full jail sentence under the “fake news” law in July 2022, have appealed to Russia’s constitutional court.
Gorinov’s initial seven-year sentence, later extended, stemmed from criticizing the Russian invasion at a council meeting, objecting to a children’s drawing contest amid children’s deaths in Ukraine. His sentence was increased for further criticism of the conflict from a prison hospital.
Lawyers Katerina Tertukhina and Olga Podoplelova argued that the 2022 legislation, ostensibly aimed at combating disinformation, is being used to suppress anti-war sentiments, criticism of authorities, and the dissemination of information that contradicts the official government narrative.