On November 2, a case was opened against “USSR citizen” from Sterlitamak Evgeniy Shepelev on military “fakes” (Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code). This was reported by the publication “That’s So” with reference to a source in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The basis for initiating the case was a post about the crimes of the Russian army in Izyum. The investigation believes that Shepelev published it on September 16, 2022 on his VKontakte page. As “That's So” writes, the page is currently unavailable.
Shepelev’s home was searched, equipment and “documents with the symbols of the extremist organization “Citizens of the USSR” were confiscated.” The man is considered a suspect. As a preventive measure, he was given a recognizance not to leave.
- 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 750 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.
- “Citizens of the USSR” is a movement uniting fighters for the restoration of the rights of citizens of the USSR. Followers of the organization believe that the Union continues to exist, and the Russian Federation is a “trading company.” Some of the participants in “Citizens of the USSR” refuse any ties with Russia as a state, for example, do not sign any documents, and notify local authorities of the need to vacate their posts. In August 2022, a court in Samara recognized the Citizens of the USSR movement as an extremist organization.