Three Russian Orthodox activists have been sentenced to two years in prison for a series of arson attacks against the creators of a controversial film depicting the love affair of the last Russian tsar.
Three members of the “Christian State — Holy Rus” group were detained in September 2017 after torching cars and threatening venues planning to screen “Mathilde." The film raised controversy among Russian conservatives for depicting the affair of Tsar Nicholas II, who is recognized as a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church, with Polish ballerina Mathilde Kschessinska.
A Moscow city court sentenced Yury Kalinin, Alexander Bayanov and Denis Mantaluts to two years in a penal colony, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported from the courtroom on Thursday.
One of the defendants, Denis Mantalutsa, has apologized to the film director’s lawyer, whose car they torched outside central Moscow’s Arbat district. The arson attack took place after director Alexei Uchitel’s studio in St. Petersburg was torched with Molotov cocktails.
“It happened by accident, we weren’t motivated by money or evil intentions,” Mantalutsa was cited as saying.
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.
