Russia convicts ex-police officer over Ukraine war criticism
A court in Russia has convicted a former police officer of publicly spreading false information about the country’s military for criticizing the war in Ukraine to his friends
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A court in Russia convicted a former police officer of publicly spreading false information about the country's military for criticizing the war in Ukraine to his friends over the phone.
The ex-officer, Semiel Vedel, was sentenced Monday to seven years in prison under a law the Kremlin adopted days after sending troops into Ukraine and has actively used to stifle dissent. In addition to the prison term, he was barred from working in law enforcement for four years after his release.
Authorities accused Vedel of spreading information about Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that deviated from the Defense Ministry's official statements.
During three phone conversations with friends last year, Vedel referred to Russia as a “murderer country," used “Glory to Ukraine” as a greeting and claimed that Russia was suffering “huge losses” in Ukraine, according to the case prosecutor.
