During the debate in the Cherepovets City Court, the prosecutor demanded that human rights activist Gregory Marcus Severin Winter (former name Grigory Winter) be sentenced to six years and three months in a general regime colony in the case of military “fakes.” This was reported by lawyer from OVD-Info Sergei Tikhonov.
In addition to imprisonment for Winter, they requested a ban on website administration for a period of five years. Arguments are currently taking place in the courthouse.
The human rights activist is accused of disseminating “deliberately false information” about the Russian army based on hatred (clause “e”, part 2, article 207.3 of the Criminal Code) due to a comment about the dead civilians of Bucha and eight reposts about the shelling of a drama theater in Mariupol . The case was opened in September 2022, then the man was sent to a pre-trial detention center. In October of the same year he was transferred to house arrest. In December 2022, prosecutors approved an indictment in Winter's case. In November 2023, Winter’s preventive measure was changed to a ban on certain actions.
19:25 The judge resumed the process of considering the case on the merits, lawyer Tikhonov reports. This happened after a two-hour speech by Winter, in which he asked to be given the opportunity to provide the court with a number of documents proving the absence of a hate motive in the publications incriminated against him.
The next meeting will take place on December 28 at 10:00. Because of the court's decision, the debate will begin again, and the prosecutor will have to re-announce the request for punishment for Winter.
- The case of “fakes” about the Russian army is not the first case of persecution of a human rights activist. In 2020, a criminal case was opened against Winter for “fakes” about coronavirus (Article 207.1 of the Criminal Code) and was sentenced to two years of restriction of freedom. In August of the same year, the punishment was replaced by six months of correctional labor. The man was also prosecuted for contempt of court.
- 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 800 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.