On May 19, the Russian court found the former mayor of Yekaterinburg Yevgenii Roizman guilty of discrediting the army and sentenced him to the large fine of 260,000 rubles (3,000 euros) demanded by the prosecutor’s office.
On May 19, the Russian court found the former mayor of Yekaterinburg Yevgenii Roizman guilty of discrediting the army and sentenced him to the large fine of 260,000 rubles (3,000 euros) demanded by the prosecutor’s office.
The court has also left in force the restrictions on the known activities previously set for Roizman.
The criminal case against Roizman for “repeated discrediting of the army” was initiated last summer.
Previously, administrative protocols for “discrediting the army” were issued to him three times, and a fine of 150,000 rubles was imposed in total.
The basis for initiating the criminal case was the video published by “YouTube” on July 1, 2022, in which Roizman spoke about the war in Ukraine. He faces five years in prison.
As the representative of the prosecution claimed in court, the politician published this video “wanting to destabilize the political situation” and “create negative sentiments”.
As the Yekaterinburg publication “It’s My City” once reported, according to the conclusion of the indictment, Roizman, among other things, “discredited” the Russian army, calling the “special operation” in Ukraine a war, and the war propaganda symbol “Z” a “zig”, that is, equating it to the Nazi salute “Sieg Heil!”.
Shortly after the repeated invasion of Ukraine, amendments to the criminal code entered into force in Russia, which provide for up to 15 years in prison for spreading “fake news” and “discrediting” the army.
The Russian authorities have declared as fake news any information that reveals the war crimes committed in Ukraine, the killing of civilians, the losses suffered by Russians and the fierce resistance of the Ukrainian people to the invaders.
In Russia, it is even forbidden to call the war launched against Ukraine a war or an invasion, or any other suitable name. All media are forced to use the euphemism imposed by the Kremlin – “special operation”.
It is true, however, that the propagandists of the totalitarian regime, who have been talking about the war for quite some time now, are not punished for it.
Among the most visible opposition leaders, Roizman is the last one left in the country who has not been imprisoned.
Roizman has consistently expressed undisguised condemnation of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and criticized the war he started against Ukraine.
In 2013, Roizmans was elected to the position of mayor of Yekaterinburg, becoming the most influential oppositionist in Russia who has reached the chair of the head of a city. He retained this position for five years.
Roizman still enjoys wide popularity both in Yekaterinburg and in many other places in Russia. He is also a friend of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
