Relevant Russian authorities have filed 152 criminal cases on charges of “discreditation” of the Russian army and dissemination of “fakes” about its actions since the Ukraine war began, head of Russia’s Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin said in an interview with TASS.
He added that 136 people had been identified as defendants in these cases. Courts are now considering 53 of these cases, while verdicts have been delivered in 16 of them.
When asked if the punishment is commensurate with the charge, Bastrykin said that he thinks it is “reasonably justified”. “This approach is dictated by the times, many clearly underestimate the public danger of these crimes. Because false information about actions of the armed forces can not just harm individual citizens but also the state interests and public security,” the official said.
In the interview, Bastrykin also shared information about his trips to Ukraine’s occupied territories and the process of forming investigation agencies there. In particular, he says that the agency plans to “write off legal consequences” for the people who faced politically motivated prosecution for crimes in Ukraine.