Krasnodar resident sentenced for fake news about Russian army recognized as political prisoner

The “Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial” human rights project recognized as a political prisoner Alexander Somryakov, a resident of Krasnodar, who was sentenced to six years of imprisonment in a penal colony for his posts about the actions of Russian troops in Ukraine.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that in Krasnodar, a court found Alexander Somryakov guilty of disseminating false information about the Russian Armed Forces. On July 20, the court of appeal upheld the verdict.

The human rights defenders have recognized Alexander Somryakov as a political prisoner, as the article about the dissemination of deliberately false information about the actions of the Russian army “contradicts the Constitution of Russia, its international obligations, and basic principles of law.”

“The right of every person to hold opinions unhindered and to express them freely, as well as the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas, are inalienable. It is clear that the restrictions on freedom of expression established by the above article may not be justified by the need to achieve any socially useful goals, as we are talking about censorship,” declared the “Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial” human rights project.