Rights defenders declare Dagestani resident convicted of fakes about Russian Army to be political prisoner

The prosecution of Shakhban Abakargadjiev, a Khasavyurt resident, under the article on fakes about the Russian Army is unlawful and politically motivated. This was stated by the human rights project "Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial", which has demanded to release the convict and stop the criminal case against him.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the court found Shakhban Abakargadjiev guilty of spreading fake news about the Russian Army and sentenced him to five years of freedom deprivation, but commuted the sanction due to the difficult financial situation of his family, replacing it with three years of forced labour and withholding 10% of his salary.

The article about fakes about the Russian Army, under which Abakargadjiev was convicted, "contradicts both the Russian Constitution and Russia's international obligations, as well as the basic principles of law," the project "Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial" has stated.

"In fact, the provisions of this article allow prosecuting people for expressing any opinion on the use of the Russian Armed Forces," says the project's website.

Human rights defenders have noted that this article was created for political repressions against critics of the authorities and should be abolished.