The author of the telegram channel “Protest MSU” Dmitry Ivanov had his arrest extended for three months

The Timiryazevsky District Court of Moscow extended for three months the arrest of the author of the telegram channel “Protest MGU” Dmitry Ivanov, accused of disseminating “fake news” about the Russian army (clause “d”, part 2 of article 207.3 of the Criminal Code). This was reported in the telegram channel covering Ivanov’s case.

Thus, the court granted the prosecution’s request to extend the young man’s preventive measure. At the same time, the defense insisted on transferring the activist to house arrest, since the prosecution did not provide any grounds for keeping him in a pre-trial detention center: Ivanov does not pose a public danger and does not intend to escape.

At the hearing on the merits, the court refused to attach Amnesty International reports to the case, which confirm the accuracy of the information from Ivanov’s posts. Lawyer Maria Eismont, in response to this, demanded that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense Igor Konashenkov and Russia's permanent representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya be brought in as witnesses.

According to the defense, officials should be called, since their point of view is presumed by the court to be the only correct one. The court granted the lawyer's request to involve officials in the consideration of the case if their appearance is ensured; the prosecutor expressed her readiness to assist in this.

23-year-old Ivanov was detained in June 2022 - at that moment his 25 days of administrative arrest should have ended under the article on repeated violation of the procedure for holding an action (Part 8 of Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code). The next day the court sent him to a pre-trial detention center.

The reason for initiating the case was publications in the telegram channel “Protest MSU”: they talk about Russian attacks on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and on cities in Ukraine, about the losses of Russian aviation in the war and tragedies in Bucha and Irpen, and there is also a post where “ special operation" is called war. In August, the activist's case went to court.

February 2, 21:22 Information appeared on the telegram channel “Moscow Courts of General Jurisdiction” that Dmitry Ivanov’s defense filed a motion to assist in summoning to court, and not to interrogate Igor Konashenkov, Sergei Lavrov and Vasily Nebenzi as additional defense witnesses . Therefore, the question of their interrogation and the need to appear is not yet being considered.

“I’m translating from Newspeak into Russian: the judge was hit with a punch, now we have to somehow justify ourselves,” noted the “Protest MSU” channel.

• Since February 24—the first day of the “special operation” in Ukraine—residents of Russian cities have been going out to anti-war rallies every day and talking about the tragedy online. Anti-war speeches and statements become grounds for criminal prosecution. At the moment, more than 420 people have become defendants in criminal cases initiated due to protest against the war with Ukraine. Read more about this in our guide .
• After the start of the war in Ukraine, the Russian authorities began to react sharply to protest sentiments. The list of articles under which those who disagree with the “special operation” are prosecuted is quite wide. Those involved in “anti-war cases” are often charged with hooliganism, vandalism, violence against government officials, and other violations. A significant element of pressure was also the articles introduced into the Criminal Code after the outbreak of hostilities - the spread of “fakes” about the Russian army and discrediting the armed forces.