Historian Yuri Dmitriev was forced to accept glasses instead of a 20-kilogram transfer

The head of the Karelian Memorial, historian Yuri Dmitriev, was forced in the colony to accept new glasses to replace the broken ones instead of another 20-kilogram transfer. This was reported by Radio Liberty with reference to an acquaintance of Dmitriev.

Dmitriev said that a few weeks ago his glasses broke, and with the help of a lawyer he ordered new ones. However, on March 15, when the lawyer brought glasses to his client, the head of IK-18 of Mordovia allowed them to be accepted only instead of a transfer of 20 kilograms, which in the colony can be received once every four months.

Previously, Dmitriev was sent to the punishment cell at the colony several times; he spent more than a month there.

Initially, the case against Dmitriev was initiated in 2016. Then he was charged under the article on using a minor for the purpose of producing pornographic materials (clause “c” of Part 2 of Article 242.2 of the Criminal Code) - according to the investigation, the historian photographed his young adopted daughter naked “for the purpose of producing pornographic materials.” Dmitriev himself claimed that he took photographs solely for medical purposes in order to track the development of the child.

In 2017, charges were added to the case under articles of committing indecent acts against a minor (Part 3 of Article 135 of the Criminal Code) and illegal possession of weapons (Part 1 of Article 222 of the Criminal Code) - during a search of the man’s house, security forces found fragments of a hunting rifle . In 2018, Dmitriev was acquitted of all charges except weapons possession. Under this article, he was sentenced to two and a half years of restriction of freedom. The prosecutor's office appealed the decision, and the case was sent for a new trial.

Later, in June 2018, a second criminal case was opened against Dmitriev - this time he was accused of sexual assault against a person under 14 years of age (Part 4 of Article 132 of the Criminal Code). The first and second criminal cases were combined into one proceeding - Dmitriev was charged with four articles: 135 of the Criminal Code, 132 of the Criminal Code, 222 of the Criminal Code and 242.2 of the Criminal Code.

In July 2020, the historian was sentenced to three and a half years in prison under the article of sexual assault against his minor adopted daughter (Parts 3 and 4 of Article 132 of the Criminal Code). He was acquitted of charges of indecent assault (Part 3 of Article 135 of the Criminal Code), production of pornography (Article 242.2 of the Criminal Code) and possession of weapons (Part 1 of Article 222 of the Criminal Code). However, the prosecutor's office appealed the sentence, demanding its toughening.

Later, Dmitriev’s sentence was increased to 13 years in prison - then the court considered only the case under Article 132 of the Criminal Code. Then, in December 2021, another two years were added to the period after consideration of cases under the remaining articles. In March 2022, the appellate court approved the final sentence of 15 years in a maximum security colony, after which Dmitriev was transferred to correctional colony No. 18 in Mordovia.

• Yuri Dmitriev is a famous Karelian local historian, historian and human rights activist, known for having found a mass grave of victims of Stalinist repressions in the town of Sandormokh in 1997. In 2017, Memorialrecognized the historian Dmitriev as a political prisoner.