A court in Moscow arrested lawyer Ilya Novikov in absentia on charges of military “fakes”

The Gagarinsky District Court of Moscow arrested lawyer Ilya Novikov in absentia in the case of military “fakes” (clause “e” of part 2 of article 207.3 of the Criminal Code). This was reported by the human rights project “First Department”, whose team represents Novikov’s interests.

According to security officials, in April 2022, during an interview on YouTube channel, the lawyer spoke about the involvement of the Russian army in the killings of civilians in the occupied Ukrainian Bucha. the Popular Politics

The decision to initiate a criminal case, a fragment of which Novikov published on his Twitter, states that he gave the interview “acting out of political hatred, realizing the illegal nature and social danger of his actions, <…> having a disdainful, unfriendly, hostile aggressive attitude towards the current executive and legislative authorities of the Russian Federation.”

Since 2019, Ilya Novikov has been living and working in Kyiv. In November 2022, the Ministry of Justice added the lawyer to the register of “foreign agents.” A week later, the Ministry of Internal Affairs put Novikov on the wanted list for criminal charges. What exactly he was charged with was not specified.

In June 2023, the Moscow Bar Chamber stripped Novikov of his lawyer status after a third petition filed by the Ministry of Justice due to Novikov’s actions “aimed at undermining trust in him or the legal profession.” In the fall, it became known that a criminal case for treason had been opened against the lawyer (Article 275 of the Criminal Code). According to the FSB, he “has undergone military training, participates in hostilities, and is engaged in propaganda work.”