The Trans-Baikal Regional Court toughened the sentence of 52-year-old veterinary clinic employee Yulia Semenova, replacing two and a half years suspended with the same term in a settlement colony, reports 'OVD-Info'* citing the court's records. Semenova is charged under two articles: for repeated 'discrediting' of the army and for 'promoting banned symbols'.
According to the investigation, in 2023, the Chita resident posted an image of a swastika 'mixed with symbols of the Russian monarchy' and a video 'discrediting' the Russian army on 'VKontakte'.
Semenova admitted to posting these on her page but insisted she did not watch the video and wanted to 'study the image later in a historical context'. However, she expressed remorse in court.
In December 2024, Semenova was given a two and a half year suspended sentence with a probation period of three and a half years. She was also banned from engaging in activities related to website administration for two years.
The appellate court concluded that 'the personality of the convicted and the circumstances of the incident indicate the absence of grounds for a suspended sentence' and decided to replace the suspended sentence with the same term in a settlement colony. The ban on website administration remained unchanged.
In April 2023, Yulia Semenova had already been held administratively liable under articles for 'discrediting the army' and 'demonstrating banned symbols'.
* Recognized in Russia as a 'foreign agent'.