The military court in Yekaterinburg sentenced 36-year-old resident of the village of Pangody, YNAO, Igor Yakunichev, to 12 years in a general regime colony, reported a correspondent of «Mediazona»** from the courtroom. Yakunichev was also banned from administering websites and channels for five years.
The reason for the initiation of the case was videos on «VKontakte» about the crimes of Russian military in Bucha, the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP, and the activities of the «Freedom of Russia» legion***. Yakunichev himself stated that he «systematized facts of war crimes» of the Russian army. In all cases, Yakunichev sent and continues to send statements to the Ministry of Defense, demanding that the department conduct an investigation «for the presence of war crimes by Russian troops».
Yakunichev did not plead guilty. The man hopes that he will be exchanged for Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine.
In court, Yakunichev also noted that the investigation of his case was conducted by investigator for particularly important cases Alexander Varapaev, who became known for refusing to release the body of the politician Alexei Navalny, who died in a colony in Harp, to his mother Lyudmila. According to Yakunichev, Vyrypaev ultimately reclassified the charges to more severe ones.
The man also said that during the first search he was choked with a knee, the detention center administration did not pass on letters from his mother and medications he was supposed to take due to a back injury sustained in 2006. Later he was placed in a solitary cell, then forcibly hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital.
* Listed as a «terrorist and extremist».
** Recognized in Russia as a «foreign agent».
*** Recognized in Russia as a «terrorist organization».