An activist from the Kaliningrad region sentenced to 7.5 years in prison was placed in a pre-trial detention center

Activist from the Kaliningrad region Igor Baryshnikov, sentenced to seven and a half years in prison in the case of military “fakes” (clause “d”, part 2 of article 207.3 of the Criminal Code), was placed in regional pre-trial detention center-1. This was reported by OVD-Info lawyer Maria Bontzler, who represents the man’s interests.

The verdict to Baryshnikov was announced by the Sovetsky District Court of Kaliningrad the day before, on June 22. During the investigation, the man was under recognizance not to leave the place. He was placed in a pre-trial detention center until the appeal and the verdict came into force.

The prosecutor requested eight years in prison for Baryshnikov.

Previously, the man’s chronic disease worsened and there was a suspicion of oncology, and a tube was installed in his stomach - a cystostomy . The lawyer requested an examination of his health to determine whether Baryshnikov could be imprisoned in this condition. The court rejected this request. The defense also questioned the attending physician as a witness, who said that Baryshnikov was suspected of having cancer and should not be in custody.

The court took into account Baryshnikov’s health when passing the sentence, the press service of the Kaliningrad Regional Court reports .

The criminal prosecution of the activist began in May 2022 - then they came to search him in the case of fakes about the Russian army (Part 1 of Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code). The Facebook posts that became the reason for the persecution spoke about the shelling of a maternity hospital in Mariupol and the murders of residents of Bucha.

In June 2022, a second criminal casewas opened against Baryshnikov, also under the article on “fakes,” but this time based on political hatred (clause “e”, part 2, article 207.3 of the Criminal Code). The resolution to initiate the case mentions posts about the sunken cruiser Moskva, the shooting of civilians in Ukraine by the Russian military, and other messages about the war. The cases were subsequently consolidated and sent to court.

OVD-Infotold in detail the story of Igor Baryshnikov and his 96-year-old mother, whom the man is caring for.

You can support Igor Baryshnikov by writing him a letter:

236 022 st. USHAKOVA 2-4 FKU SIZO-1 Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation in the Kaliningrad Region

Baryshnikov Igor Lazarevich, 01/20/1959

• Since February 24, 2022—the first day of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine—residents of Russian cities have been holding anti-war protests every day and talking about the tragedy online. Anti-war speeches and statements become grounds for criminal prosecution. At the moment, more than 600 people have become defendants in criminal cases initiated due to protest against the war with Ukraine. Read more about this in our infographic .
• Article 207.3 (Public dissemination of knowingly false information about the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation) was included in the Criminal Code in March 2022 - in this way the authorities 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 this article is 15 years in prison.