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A Russian state prosecutor has petitioned the court to sentence opposition politician Ilya Yashin to 9 years in a “general regime” (minimal security) penal colony for a YouTube stream about the Bucha massacre, reported Mediazona citing its own courtroom correspondent.
The prosecution also requested that the politician be prohibited from using the Internet for four more years after serving his sentence.
The following is a excerpt of the prosecutor's speech at the trial:
“...Yashin, guided by the motive of political hatred, reported false information about the actions of the Russian Armed Forces in the city of Bucha. The prosecution considers his guilt fully proven, as indicated by the linguistic expertise and witness testimonies... The reports [of the UN, OSCE and Human Rights Watch] have no legal force, as they were prepared by unfriendly countries. They kept quiet and did not notice the conflicts in Libya, Donbas, Odesa, and covered up the criminal regime of Stepan Bandera.”
In early October, Yashin was officially charged in a criminal case for spreading “fakes” about the Russian army.
“Yashin I. V. has a dislike for the political system in Russia, denies the clear need to ensure the security of the Russian Federation from external threats and stop violations of the fundamental rights of the citizens of the DPR and LPR, understands that he (Yashin I.V.) is a public person, in connection with which his activities are of increased interest to an undefined range of people, and the personal statements made are perceived by them as credible,” the indictment reads.
Yashin has been charged with paragraph “E” of part 2 of Article 207.3 of Russia’s Criminal Code (spreading deliberately false information about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation). On April 7, the politician carried out a live broadcast on his YouTube channel, speaking about the crimes of the Russian army in Bucha.