Judge Roman Kiforenko of the 2nd Western District Military Court sentenced 18-year-old activist of the "Left Socialist Action" movement Gagik Grigoryan to seven years in a penal colony in a case of preparing to murder a military officer, reported a correspondent from "Mediazona"* from the courtroom. The young man was also fined 40 thousand rubles.
The trial was held behind closed doors, with the press and audience allowed only for the announcement of the verdict. It became known from the defendant's relatives that the prosecutor requested a 10-year sentence, writes Sotavision**.
The 18-year-old activist from Kursk was charged under five articles of the criminal code — for "treason," "preparation for a terrorist act," "participation in a terrorist community," possession of explosives, and smuggling of an explosive device. Grigoryan himself wrote in one of his letters from the pre-trial detention center that he was accused of "preparing to eliminate a lieutenant colonel of the Russian army."
The court acquitted the young man on only one article — for arms smuggling, finding him guilty on all other charges.
Member of the "Left Socialist Action" (LevSD) and the "Russian Social-Democratic Union of Youth" (RSDUY) Gagik Grigoryan was detained in October 2023 at the age of 17. He was almost immediately added to the Rosfinmonitoring registry of "terrorists and extremists." The young man's father said that during his time in the pre-trial detention center, Grigoryan graduated from school with honors and enrolled in the law faculty. He links his son's persecution to his anti-war stance.
* Recognized as a "foreign agent" in Russia.
** Recognized as a "foreign agent" and "undesirable" organization in Russia.
Photo: Alexandra Astakhova/Mediazona