On January 29, the Supreme Court of annexed Crimea sentenced Bakhchisarai resident Alexander Tyurenko to two years probation. This was reported by the SOVA Research Center.
The man was found guilty under articles of vandalism committed based on social hostility (Part 2 of Article 214 of the Criminal Code) and insulting the memory of defenders of the Fatherland (Part 4 of Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code). He was also given a three-year ban on publishing materials on the Internet and a two-year probationary period.
On the evening of August 25, 2023, Tyurenko urinated on a sculpture of the Z and V symbols on the alley dedicated to the invasion of Ukraine, saying: “There is such a monument, complete bullshit.” The next day he was detained and forced to record a video apologizing and expressing support for the war. On the recording, you can hear the rustling of pages behind the scenes; at the end of the video, Tyurenko reads out the text of the Russian anthem. He explained his action by saying that he was drunk.
The complaint against Tyurenko was sent by professional informer Alexander Talipov. Despite the apology, the security forces opened a criminal case against the young man a few days later. Tyurenko was initially in a pre-trial detention center, but in November his preventive measure was replaced with a ban on certain actions.
- 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 .
- 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 - the spread of “fakes” about the Russian army and discrediting the armed forces.