A Russian court has sentenced a man from the western Russian city of Kirov to eight years in prison after finding him guilty of spreading “false information” about the Russian military and justifying terrorism, independent Russian media outlet It’s My City reported on Friday.
Richard Rose had a criminal case opened against him for a series of social media posts he made about Russian forces murdering civilians in the Ukrainian town of Bucha last year.
Rose pleaded guilty to the charges, though his wife Maria said that he had been put under pressure to do so.
The pair were detained on 14 April 2022, after which Richard was sent to a pre-trial detention centre, while Maria was allowed to stay at home where she had her movements restricted and was not allowed to go online. Maria Rose managed to escape Russia with the couple’s seven-year-old son last December.
Richard Rose says he was beaten while he was being detained, though a report he filed about the incident has not been included in his case file.
According to the investigation, the Roses posted photos and videos of the civilian massacre in Bucha to social media that were “offensive and defamatory” to the Russian military.
Both Maria and Richard Rose have been put on Russia’s list of terrorists and extremists, while Maria Rose has now been placed on Russia’s wanted list.
