A Rostov resident was sentenced to compulsory psychiatric treatment because of the graffiti “Putin is a thief!”

A magistrate in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Mikhail Selitsky to one and a half years of restricted freedom and outpatient treatment in a psychiatric hospital in the case of graffiti “Putin is a thief!” This was reported by OVD-Info lawyer Rustam Mukhamadeev.

The prosecution requested two years of restriction of freedom and compulsory inpatient treatment for the man. Selitsky was found guilty of vandalism motivated by political hatred (Part 2 of Article 214 of the Criminal Code). There are two more defendants in the case; they have not yet been sentenced.

According to investigators, before March 13, 2021, several people, “having a criminal intent aimed at deliberately damaging and desecrating residential buildings, neglecting standards of behavior and public interests, while violating public order, acting on the grounds of political hatred,” wrote “Putin- thief!" on the walls of residential buildings.

After the arrest of the alleged authors of the graffiti, security forces published videos of young people talking on camera about a Telegram chat moderated from Poland. One of the Rostovites said: “In this chat, I learned a lot of new information and methods of extremist activity.” As examples of such activities, he names drawings that insult the authorities and direct action.