The Central District Court of Chita, Russia, has imposed a $480 fine on local resident Ivan Losev for “discrediting the Russian army”. The charges were brought against him after the man recounted a recent dream he’d had on Instagram.
“Last night, I dreamed about being mobilized and brought to some kind of a boot camp. Suddenly, AFU fighters led by Zelensky burst in, rounded everyone up, and were about to execute us by firing squad. At this moment, Zelensky walks past me and says: ‘Ah, I’ve seen your stories on Instagram. Glory to Ukraine!’ I reply: ‘Glory to the heroes!’ Zelensky pats me on the shoulder approvingly and says: ‘Let this one go, and execute everyone else.’ So there we are, me and him, standing side by side watching, and I tell him: ‘Can I get a selfie with you for my Instagram?’ Zelensky says: ‘Sure,’” Losev wrote on his social media account.
The defendant has characterized the case against him as ridiculous: “I struggle to imagine how a Zabaikalsk FSB officer in his forties re-typed my post with a straight face to add it to the case file. The thought is ridiculous!”
Early in December, a Kazan resident paid a $480 fine, also under the charges of “discrediting the Russian army”, for participating in an anti-mobilization protest with signs “I love my dad” and “Peace”. Earlier reports dealt with a student who mentioned Ukraine in a conversation with a subway security guard and was detained for “discrediting the army” as well.