The defendant in the criminal case about anti-war publications, Igor Yakunichev, was sent to a pre-trial detention center on May 3. The decision was made by the Salekhard City Court. The man’s lawyer, Pavel Rusnakov, told OVD-Info.
On April 1, Yakunichev was searched again, after which the man was forcibly hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital in the village of Vinzili (Tyumen region) for an inpatient examination. After the examination was completed, he was brought to court, which changed his preventive measure from a ban on certain actions to detention until May 25.
The accused was sent to a pre-trial detention center in the city of Labytnangi.
Yakunichev is charged with three counts of spreading “fakes” about the Russian army based on hatred (clause “d” of Part 2 of Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code), two episodes of justifying terrorism on the Internet (Part 2 of Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code) and one episode of discrediting the Russian army (Part 1 of Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code). The reason for prosecuting the young man under the article about “fakes” was his publications and comments on VKontakte about the crimes of the Russian army in Bucha , as well as about the destruction of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric station. He was charged with justifying terrorism because of his posts about the “Freedom of Russia” legion. The case of discrediting the army is connected with a video about the execution by the Russian military of a resident of the Ukrainian village of Berezovka.
Initially, in May 2023, a criminal case was opened against Yakunichev regarding “fakes.” In June of that year, a search was carried out at his home in the village of Pangody. Yakunichev was beaten during his arrest, but was released after interrogation under a ban on certain actions. The charge of justifying terrorism was added at the end of 2023. Finally, the initiation of a criminal case against Yakunichev for discrediting the Russian army (Part 1 of Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code) became known on March 31.
Earlier in June 2022, a man was fined 30 thousand rubles under the administrative article on discrediting the army (Part 1 of Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) because he made a video about a memorial with a T-54 tank, which is located in the village. Yakunichev believed that placing the letter “Z” on the memorial falls under the article on violation of the law on the protection of cultural heritage sites (Article 7.13 of the Administrative Code).
Address for letters:
629400, st. Severnaya 33, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Labytnangi
Pre-trial detention center-1 of the Federal Penitentiary Service for the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Yakunichev Igor Aleksandrovich, born in 1988
- 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 900 people have become defendants in criminal cases initiated due to protest against the war with Ukraine. Read more about this in our infographic .