Russian court sentences blogger to five years in penal colony
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 31 December 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russian court sentences blogger to five years in penal colony, 31 December 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c4289115.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
December 31, 2015
Russian blogger Vadim Tyumentsev in court in Tomsk on December 30
A Russian court has sentenced a blogger to five years in a Siberian penal colony for "inciting hatred and extremism" after he criticized Russian intervention in Ukraine and, separately, accused local authorities of corruption and incompetence.
The decision on December 30 by the court in Tomsk, western Siberia, also banned Vadim Tyumentsev from using the Internet for three years.
Human rights activists have condemned the sentence.
The NGO Sova, which works on monitoring nationalism and xenophobia in Russia, called it "too harsh, considering it was only for posting videos online."
Russia's Memorial human rights group said the jail sentence was "outrageous" and called for the verdict to be overturned.
Mark Lagon, president of the U.S.-based rights watchdog Freedom House, said "the Russian government seems determined to prevent free expression in any form, including in social media."
Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters
Link to original story on RFE/RL website