A Russian man has fined a local man for “discrediting” the country’s military, the fourth time he has been convicted for the same offense since December.
Ivan Losev, from the Siberian city of Chita, had been fined in February 2023 for speaking to the press about a fine he had previously received for sharing a dream he had about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
On Tuesday, Chita's Central District Court fined Losev another 120,000 rubles ($1,499) for an Instagram post that it ruled contained “discrediting” information about the Russian army.
He pleaded guilty to the criminal “discreditation” charges.
The Chita court did not specify which of Losev’s Instagram posts it fined him over.
The independent news outlet Sota speculated that it may have been a screenshot of an interview he gave to the independent Dozhd broadcaster, which contained the words “Save Ukraine.”
The court also seized his iPhone, which it described as a “means for committing the crime.”
Losev's multiple fines for recounting his dream about the Ukrainian leader earned widespread media coverage.
“I had a dream today that I had been drafted and taken to a training camp, and then the Ukrainian armed forces led by Zelensky stormed in,” Losev wrote on Instagram in December, adding that he had then cheered Zelensky on in the dream, shouting out the popular Ukrainian slogan “Glory to the Heroes.”
His mother Nelli Loseva was also fined in February for “discrediting” the Russian army after she liked a post condemning the invasion on social media.
Russia last March made criticizing the military or sharing information about the war in Ukraine that differs from the Kremlin’s narrative punishable with fines or jail time.
Authorities have opened over 6,500 administrative cases of “discrediting” the Russian military's actions since Moscow invaded Ukraine over one year ago, according to the civil rights watchdog OVD-Info.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
