In the Central District Military Court in Yekaterinburg, in the case of the military enlistment office arson, philosopher Leonid Chernov and defense experts linguist Igor Zharkov and psychologist Veronika Konstantinova were questioned.
As Sotavision* writes, Leonid Chernov explained that he used «semiotic signs» in evaluating the 'pacific' symbol, which the defendant had painted on the wall of the enlistment office he set on fire. The expert stated that «the peace sign 'pacific' has acquired the opposite meaning». When asked by the defense about the methodology he used, he replied: «What methodology to use when it's obvious?»
Leonid Chernov also noted in his expertise that «in the context of the Special Military Operation (SMO), the pacific signifies dissent». The specialist explained his judgment by stating that he «lives in Russia, listens to the radio, and watches television».
The defense questioned philologist Igor Zharkov and psychologist Veronika Konstantinova, who had previously conducted expertise in the cases of St. Petersburg activists Sasha Skocilenko and Daria Kozyreva. Both experts pointed out several errors in the psycho-linguistic research of the FSB expert in the Sverdlovsk region, Svetlana Mochalova. Zharkov noted that Mochalova's conclusions that the defendant's actions justified terrorism were based solely on the investigator's assessment. Psychologist Veronika Konstantinova pointed out that the prosecution expert Mochalova confuses «dislike» with «hatred and hostility». Both defense specialists called Mochalova's expertise full of «political subjectivism».
According to the investigation, on March 11, 2022, 26-year-old DNS salesman Alexey Rozhkov attempted to set fire to the military enlistment office by throwing a «Molotov cocktail» through a window. At that moment, a guard was inside the building, but she was not harmed. The prosecution believes that Rozhkov committed the arson «to destabilize government bodies and influence decisions to end the SMO». Additionally, the young man is accused of «justifying terrorism» and spreading «fakes» about the army due to an interview with the channel «Khodorkovsky Live».
While under a travel ban, Alexey Rozhkov managed to flee to Kyrgyzstan, but in May 2023, unknown individuals kidnapped him from Bishkek and returned him to the Sverdlovsk region. Since then, he has been in pre-trial detention for a year.
* Recognized as a «foreign agent» in Russia.
Photo: Sotavision