Reacting to the new prison sentence for Russian activist Aleksei Gorinov, Natalia Zviagina, Amnesty International’s Russia Director, said:
“The outrageous new sentence for Aleksei Gorinov, a brave man whose only ‘crime’ is publicly voicing his disdain for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is a bone-chilling reminder of the lengths to which the Kremlin will go to stifle dissent. Gorinov’s ongoing persecution reflects the ruthlessness of political reprisals in Russia, where one lengthy prison term may be followed by another.”
The outrageous new sentence for Aleksei Gorinov, a brave man whose only ‘crime’ is publicly voicing his disdain for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is a bone-chilling reminder of the lengths to which the Kremlin will go to stifle dissent
Natalia Zviagina, Amnesty International’s Russia Director
“Russian authorities must cease this relentless targeting of activists, release Aleksei Gorinov and everyone else who is arbitrarily detained for exercising their human rights, and fully comply with their obligations to respect the right to freedom of expression, as enshrined in international human rights law.”
Background
On 29 November, the Vladimir Garrison Military Court sentenced Aleksei Gorinov, a former Moscow municipal deputy, to a 3-year prison sentence under charges of “justifying terrorism” (Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code). The charges stem from reported conversations between Aleksei Gorinov and other people imprisoned in a penal colony, during which he allegedly expressed sympathy for “the ideology of terrorism” in the context of the war in Ukraine. Gorinov, however, categorically denies the charges and any support for violence.
“My guilt is that I, as a citizen of my country, allowed this war to begin and was unable to stop it,” he said in his final statement.
Aleksei Gorinov was initially sentenced in July 2022 to seven years in prison for “disseminating knowingly false information” about the Russian army. His alleged “crime” was speaking during a council meeting about the devastating impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including the deaths of Ukrainian children, and calling the war an act of aggression. This was the first prison sentence issued under the oppressive law criminalizing criticism of the war. His case has drawn international condemnation, including calls from the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Russia for his immediate release.
