Human rights defenders comment on sentence for pensioner from Rostov Region for her reposts

An appeal against the verdict to 72-year-old Yevgenia Maiboroda from Shakhty, who was sentenced to imprisonment in a penal colony for her reposts on a social network, was sent to the court of appeal. The advanced age of defendants does not become an obstacle to the imposition of harsh sentences on them, human rights defenders note.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that in January, a court sentenced Yevgenia Maiboroda to 5.5 years of imprisonment, recognizing her reposts on a social network as fakes about the Russian Army and calls for extremism. The reason for the institution of a criminal case was a repost of information about the number of Russian military casualties and an emotional video. Yevgenia Maiboroda explained her actions by saying that her brother in the city of Dnipro was under the rubble of a building that collapsed due to being hit by shells.

“The appeal is based by the excessive severity of the sentence. The defence will request a mitigation of the sentence,” said a friend of the Yevgenia Maiboroda’s family.

The woman noted that Yevgenia Maiboroda paid all the fines in administrative cases, but did not plead guilty and did not admit the motive of political hatred.

Elderly people are also being held brough to responsibility for spreading fake news about the Russian Army and calling for extremist activities, notes lawyer Evgeny Smirnov from the “Pervy Otdel” (First Department)* human rights project.

“For example, cases on high treason, under which scientists are very often prosecuted ... For example, scientist Mitko died at 81 while his case was being considered in court ... Therefore, the case of a real imprisonment for the 72-year-old woman for her words is monstrous, but not rare,” the lawyer pointed out.

The imprisonment of elderly people has been common in recent years, agrees Svetlana Gannushkina*, the chair of the “Civic Assistance Committee”*. The human rights defender points to the verdict to Oleg Orlov*, a 70-year-old co-chair of the “Memorial” Centre for Human Rights Defence**.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.

**As reported on the website of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the reason for including on March 1, 2024, the unregistered “Memorial” Centre for Human Rights Defence (CHRD) into the register of foreign agents was the spread of “inaccurate information aimed at creating a negative image of the Russian Federation, as well as the Russian Armed Forces.”