The RusNews journalist today left correctional colony No. 3 in Tomsk, the publication itself reports .
Kuznetsov was supposed to be released before noon local time, but in the colony those greeting them were told that “he was taken away by the FSB.” Soon the journalist was found at home - he said that after his release, he was taken away for a conversation by employees of Center “E”. They did not allow him to see his relatives who had come to meet him at the colony. After the conversation he was sent home.
“Everything will be fine, I declare with full responsibility! Today’s stupid story confirms this,” Kuznetsov told his colleagues.
- In March 2024, Kuznetsov was sentenced to three years probation on charges of participation in an extremist community (Part 2 of Article 282.1 of the Criminal Code). The security forces claimed that he was a member of the “Left Resistance” and, together with activist Daria Polyudova, developed a plan to organize protests and “provoke a clash” with Tomsk police. In particular, Kuznetsov was accused of submitting a notification to the mayor’s office about holding a rally and procession on September 8, 2019.
- A month later, the journalist was sentenced in another case - about the telegram channel “What-to-Delat!” According to investigators, the accused created a network of telegram channels to organize unrest during the State Duma elections in 2021. Kuznetsov was convicted under articles of inciting mass riots (Part 1.1 of Article 212 of the Criminal Code) and inciting hatred (Clause “c” of Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code) and was sentenced to six years in a general regime colony. He was also banned from publishing appeals and other materials on the Internet for two years.
- Kuznetsov was detained in September 2021. Since then, he was first in a pre-trial detention center and then in a colony.