During the debate in the Elista City Court, the prosecutor asked to sentence the editor-in-chief of the publication “Modern Kalmykia” Valery Badmaev to three years in a penal colony in the case of repeated discrediting of the Russian army (Part 1 of Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code). this . reports The Caucasian Knot
The man is accused of reposting a video on VKontakte with a story from a soldier of the Ukrainian Azov battalion that phosphorus bombs were used against the defenders of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. The publication cites the story of 72-year-old Badmaev about how the court hearing took place.
“First, the prosecutor spoke, who, in fact, read the indictment, and then asked me for three years in a penal colony. But the only evidence they have is this video itself, which allegedly discredits the Russian Armed Forces; it talks about the use of phosphorus bombs in Mariupol during the siege of the Azovstal plant. At the same time, the materials contain an examination, and the conclusion of the expert brought in by the investigation itself directly states that it is not clear who they are talking about, which side exactly used these bombs. And the prosecution believes that the point is that it was Russian troops who used it. But my comments under the video, my attitude, are not there. There is also no evidence, even if we take it as a fact that we are talking about the actions of Russian troops, that I reposted the video deliberately with the aim of discrediting the armed forces of the Russian Federation,” Badmaev told the Caucasian Knot.
Badmaev was detained in Elista on December 9, 2022. At the same time, it became known that a criminal case had been opened against him under the article on repeated discrediting of the Russian army. The journalist's home was searched, and security forces confiscated his mobile phone and laptop.
Initially, the Elista City Court chose a ban on certain actions as a preventive measure for Badmaev: the journalist was prohibited from using the Internet and communications. However, in March 2023, the preventive measure was changed to a written undertaking not to leave. This happened after the examination did not find any signs of discrediting the Russian army in the video recording imputed to him.
The announcement of the verdict against Valery Badmaev will take place on November 13 in the Elista City Court.
- Valery Badmaev is a Kalmyk journalist and human rights activist, the initiator of the Congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk people. On May 30, 2021, the day after the congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk people, a man was detained, an administrative protocol was drawn up against him under the article on repeated violation of the procedure for holding an action (Part 8 of Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code). As a result, the court sentenced Badmaev to 40 hours of compulsory work.
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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 .
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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. On March 14, 2023, the State Duma adopted amendments increasing the maximum penalty under this article, since then it has been seven years in prison.