The Second Western District Military Court, at an off-site hearing in Kaliningrad, sentenced local resident Vyacheslav Popov to nine years in prison in the case of preparing a terrorist attack before Victory Day. TASS about this.
reports The judges also imposed a fine on him in the amount of 210 thousand rubles.
Popov was accused of preparing for a terrorist attack (Part 1 of Article 205 using Part 1 of Article 30 of the Criminal Code), illegal production (Part 1 of Article 223.1 of the Criminal Code) and storage of explosives (Part 1 of Article 222.1 of the Criminal Code). The case against him began in early May 2022: according to investigators, on the eve of Victory Day he was going to commit a terrorist attack in a military unit due to “dissatisfaction with the Northern Military District” and go to fight on the side of Ukraine.
The security forces announced that they had found an improvised explosive device and paraphernalia with the symbols of the Right Sector at Popov’s home. Relatives and friends of the convicted person believe that these items were planted in the apartment by the FSB and Mediazona officers themselves. In their opinion, Popov admitted guilt under pressure and out of fear for his family.
told According to lawyer Maria Bontzler, Popov must serve the first three years of his sentence in, and the remaining six in a maximum security colony. The defense plans to appeal the verdict.
prison Previously, Popov was a witness in the Baltic Avant-Garde of the Russian Resistance (BARS), of which he was a member until 2015. According to investigators, the organization is to forcefully annex the Kaliningrad region to the European Union. In 2020, the defendants in the case will be sentenced to imprisonment for up to 8 years.
the case was intended to be sentenced - 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 oppose the war 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 - dissemination about the Russian army and armed forces. “fake” discrediting - Currently, more than 500 people are involved in criminal cases initiated due to protest against the war with Ukraine. Read more about this in our.