Russian activist handed two-year jail term for ‘slaughter the KGB’ comment

A court in Russia’s Voronezh has sentenced activist Grigory Severin to two years behind bars for making calls for extremist activity over a VK comment that said “slaughter the gebnya”, OVD-Info, a Russian human rights group that monitors political arrests, says. The word gebnya is a Russian slang term that alludes to the KGB or, more generally, the Russian security services, including the Federal Security Service (FSB).

According to the prosecution, in December 2019, the man left this comment under a post about the shootout near the FSB building in downtown Moscow. Severin denies ever posting this comment and does not admit guilt.

Earlier, the prosecution requested two-and-a-half years in prison for the activist.

In early August, a court in Russia’s Tyumen sentenced local resident Anton Shamonov to six months’ community service under Russia’s “fake news” law over a VK comment. According to 72.ru news portal, the comment ended with the phrase “going to heaVen (alluding to the letter V used as a symbol of the Russian invasion of Ukraine — translator’s note) now, you morons?”