A resident of Kazan was sentenced to imprisonment for humiliating the dignity of a war veteran

Vyacheslav Yakovlev was sentenced to one and a half years in prison under Art. 354.1 of the Criminal Code for an offensive comment about a veteran of the Great Patriotic War.

On June 26, 2026, the Supreme Court of Tatarstan sentenced Kazan resident Vyacheslav Yakovlev under Part 4 of Art. 354.1 of the Criminal Code (humiliation of the honor and dignity of a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, committed on the Internet). He was sentenced to one and a half years of imprisonment in a general regime colony. Yakovlev was taken into custody in the courtroom. As an additional punishment, the court imposed a ban on him from administering websites and posting materials on the Internet for three years.

The state prosecutor asked to sentence Yakovlev to three years in prison. The defendant asked not to deprive him of his freedom, declaring repentance.

The persecution of Yakovlev was connected with a comment he left on Telegram under a video with the participation of Great Patriotic War veteran F. According to the court, the veteran, who had many awards, spoke “about the exploits and achievements of the Soviet people, about the unity of the Russian army and love for the Motherland.” Yakovlev’s comment contained “offensive and obscene language” about the veteran.

We do not know what exactly Yakovlev wrote, but in general we believe that the qualification of such actions under Part 4 of Art. 354.1 of the Criminal Code is redundant, although they can be called reprehensible. For punishment for public insult there is Art. 5.61 Code of Administrative Offences; In addition, the veteran or his relatives could file a civil lawsuit to protect honor and dignity. Let us also recall that in General Comment No. 34 to Art. 19 (freedom of opinion and expression) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the UN Human Rights Committee states that “the law should not impose greater penalties solely on account of the personal situation of the individual whose reputation is allegedly impugned.”

Sources

• A verdict was passed in the case of public humiliation of the honor and dignity of a veteran of the Great Patriotic War // Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan. 2026. June 26.
• Criminal case card No. 2-25/2026 // Supreme Court of the Republic of Tatarstan. 2026. June 26.
• Kirill Gumirov. “I repent for this comment”: a citizen of Kazan was imprisoned for insulting a veteran // Tatar-inform. 2026. June 26.