State prosecution requests 9-year prison term for activist Mikhail Krieger on “terrorism justification” charges
Russian state prosecutors have requested that “Solidarity” (“Solidarnost”) movement member and human rights activist Mikhail Krieger be sentenced to nine years in prison for “justifying terrorism” in his posts and comments on Facebook in 2020. The news was reported by the Telegram channel Freedom to Mikhail Krieger! (“Svobodu Mikhailu Krigeru!”), created in support of the activist.
The hearing was held in the 2nd Western District Military Court. After the end of the court session, Krieger sang the Ukrainian song “Chervona Kalyna” to the applause from the audience. In response to Krieger's singing, a policeman asked him to keep his voice down, with Krieger replying: “But I've already sung everything.”
When leaving the courtroom, multiple people leaned their palm through the glass against Krieger's hand in a show of support. Krieger’s sentence will be announced at the next hearing on May 17.