In Komi, a former teacher’s arrest was extended in the case of justifying the explosion on the Crimean Bridge

In Syktyvkar, historian and former teacher Nikita Tushkanov, accused of justifying terrorism (Part 2 of Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code) and repeated discrediting of the army (Part 1 of Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code), had his detention period extended until April 5, SOTA reported .

Tushkanov is being persecuted because of a post about the explosion on the Crimean Bridge and comments about the annexation of Crimea. Hewas detained on December 7 after a search of his apartment in Syktyvkar, and on December 8 he was sent to a pre-trial detention center.

The historian was included in the Rosfinmonitoring list of terrorists and extremists. In January, his fiancee wrote that the investigator refused to allow him to get married, as well as to visit his relatives.

Tushkanov had previously been persecuted for his publications and political views. In March, four protocols were drawn up against him because of his anti-war posts on VKontakte - the man was charged with petty hooliganism (Article 20.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) and the demonstration of Nazi symbols (Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses), two more protocols were drawn up under the article of discrediting the Russian Army (Part 1 of Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code). In July, a court in Syktyvkar overturned a fine of 30 thousand rubles under the article on discrediting the army due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. The case regarding the display of Nazi symbols was dropped at the end of June.

In January 2021, when rallies in support of Navalny were taking place in Russia, Tushkanov held a picket for freedom of speech. After this, the school began to put pressure on him. In March of the same year, he was fired due to “committing an immoral offense.” The court declared this dismissal legal.

• Vladimir Putin ordered the construction of the Crimean Bridge after the annexation of the peninsula. It opened in May 2018. On the morning of October 8, 2022, an explosion occurred on the bridge. As a result, two spans of the roadway collapsed and the railway tracks were damaged. The next day, the head of the Russian Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, reported to Putin that the Ukrainian special services were behind this, as well as “citizens of Russia and foreign countries who helped prepare the terrorist attack.” In connection with the explosion, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under the article of committing a terrorist attack, for which 8 people were arrested.
• 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 430 people have become defendants in criminal cases initiated due to protest against the war with Ukraine. Read more about this in our guide .
• Article 280.3 (Public actions aimed at discrediting the armed forces of the Russian Federation) was included in the Criminal Code in March 2022 - in this way the government responded to anti-war speeches and statements, as well as the dissemination of information about the war that does not come from official Russian sources. The maximum penalty under the article is five years in prison.