The Russian occupation ‘Crimean high court’ has revoked an original (steep) fine and imposed a one-year sentence against Denys Yezhov for calling out the words “Glory to Ukraine! Ukraine will prevail!”. The words were claimed to ‘discredit the Russian armed forces’ under Article 280.3 of Russia’s criminal code, one of the four draconian charges rushed into legislation ten days after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Denys Yezhov is from Alushta and had already been prosecuted, back in March 2023, over a phrase claimed to ‘discredit the Russian armed forces’ which he had, purportedly, shouted while drunk. On that occasion, the lesser administrative charge was applied (Article 20.3.3 of Russia’s administrative code), with ‘judge’ Denys Kirieiev of the occupation ‘Alushta municipal court’ fining Yezhov 30 thousand roubles.
In September 2024, Yezhov was prosecuted over the words ‘Glory to Ukraine! Ukraine will prevail”, which he was again supposed to have shouted while drunk. This time, the charge was under the analogous criminal charge of Article 280.3, ““public acts aimed at discrediting the use of the RF armed forces for the purpose of defending the interests of the RF and its citizens, support of international peace and security”.
The law rushed through on 4 March 2022 had envisaged criminal charges for a supposed ‘repeat offence’, however the latter was supposed to ‘be committed’ within the space of a year. Here almost 18 months had elapsed.
Yezhov was, once again, found ‘guilty’ by the occupation ‘Alushta municipal court’ and fined 100 thousand roubles, with it this sentence that was challenged at the occupation ‘Crimean high court’. It seems possible that the appeal was lodged by the ‘prosecutor’ since, however preposterous the charge and unwarranted the sentence, Yezhov would surely have understood that the sentence could have been worse.
On 13 November, OVD-Info announced the new sentence, citing the ‘Crimean high court’s’ press service. As well as the one-year term of imprisonment in a medium-security prison colony, Yezhov has been banned for a further year from administering Internet sites.
Russia has used the above charges, as well as countless other norms, to persecute those either protesting over the war against Ukraine, or expressing pro-Ukrainian views. There have been an absurd number of administrative prosecutions under Article 20.3.3 for playing the Ukrainian national anthem; for waving the Ukrainian flag; for playing Ukrainian patriotic songs; or for the words ‘Crimea is Ukraine’. Several Crimeans have received terms of imprisonment, either over supposed repeated ‘discrediting’ (for example, Dmytro Kozlia) and Danylo Seriohin) or where other charges have been clearly added in reprisal for the person’s pro-Ukrainian stan (such as Mykola Onuk and Yevhen Shved.)
