![]() ![]() Novikova said she was disappointed with the people around her. Russian authorities often bully witnesses to strengthen their cases. She also claimed her lawyer and doctors at a local clinic undermined her defense case. Novikova said one even went so far as to deny even knowing her. She said one friend turned on her, becoming a witness for the prosecution, while other friends declined to come to her defense. Novikova said she was initially surprised that few people commented on her post, but eventually came to realize that they "don't want to understand what is happening in Ukraine." She said her friend stopped hiding in the bunker because it was too much for her health, saying if worse came to worse, she was prepared to die if her building was struck by a Russian missile. Novikova was charged for posts she made on March 15, 2022, following a conversation she had with a friend living in Kyiv. Dozens, if not hundreds, have been charged under the various measures, and some jailed for long sentences. Those laws are part of a suite of repressive measures that have come into force since the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 as the Kremlin seeks to squash any dissent. Novikova was among the first to be swept up under the new legislation. Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2022 signed into law two pieces of legislation that essentially criminalized any criticism of the army and the invasion of Ukraine. The average yearly pension in the Tomsk region is about $3,100. Novikova, a lawyer living in the Tomsk region, told the court she preferred prison as she did not have the money to pay the fine. The Russian prosecutor had requested the court sentence Marina Novikova to three years in prison for posting "fake" information about Russia's invasion to her 170 Telegram followers in March 2022. He was a deputy chief of the administration of then-President of Russia's Republic of Bashkortostan Rustem Khamitov from 2010 to 2014.Ī Russian court has fined a 65-year-old grandmother from Siberia 1 million rubles ($12,400), the equivalent of about four years of pension payments, for making an anti-war post on social media in the days following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. ![]() He worked as a speechwriter for Putin from 2008 to 2010. Gallyamov, 50, is currently residing in Israel. Last month, the Russian Justice Ministry added Gallyamov to its registry of foreign agents, saying he has distributed "materials compiled by foreign agents, expressed ideas against the special military operation in Ukraine, participated as an expert, and respondent on information platforms presented by foreign entities." He said that at that time, nobody could have predicted "that Russia would turn into some kind of fascist state, as it is now."ĭiscrediting Russia's armed forces became a crime under a new law adopted after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. He also reflected on his time as a member of Putin's speechwriting team after Putin became prime minister in 2008. In the interview, Gallyamov suggested that the ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine may lead to a revolution in Russia. The notice was posted a day after RFE/RL published an extensive interview with Gallyamov. On March 24, the Mediazona website said it found the official notice identifying Gallyamov as wanted on unspecified charges on the Interior Ministry's website. 'How Did He Turn Into What He Is Now?' Former Putin Speechwriter Reflects It is not clear whether he was appointed by Russian authorities or was chosen by Gallyamov to be his legal representative. According to Setevyye Svobody, lawyer Alan Gamazov is representing Gallyamov. If convicted, Gallyamov faces up to 10 years in prison. Setevyye Svobody said the investigation against Gallyamov was launched on January 18 and that his name was added to the wanted list on February 17, more than one month before it appeared on the ministry's website. Gallyamov gave the interview with the outlet on April 9, 2022, discussing alleged war crimes committed by Russian troops in the Ukrainian cities of Bucha and Kramatorsk. The Setevyye Svobody (Network Freedoms) group, which monitors the rights of online journalists, said on March 30 that it had obtained official documents of the probe against Gallyamov stating that the charge against him stems from his interview with Ukraine's 1+1 television's YouTube project. A self-exiled former speechwriter of Vladimir Putin, Abbas Gallyamov, whose name appeared in the Russian Interior Ministry's online registry of wanted persons last week, is suspected of discrediting Russia's armed forces, a charge Russian authorities have been using to stifle any criticism of Moscow's war in Ukraine. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |