Ukrainian sentenced to 12 years in prison in Russia for peaceful protest

A Russian military court sentenced Ukrainian Krystyna Liubashenko to 12 years in prison for publicly broadcasting a recording of an anti-war speech and a Ukrainian anthem and launching balloons with a Russian opposition flag, Mediazona reported on June 17.

Liubashenko, 35, mother of two daughters, was convicted of “spreading disinformation about the war” and “participating in a terrorist organization,” the independent Russian agency said. media wrote.

Russia has widely used the accusation of support or planning”terrorism” as a means of suppressing perceived dissent against the regime or prosecuting Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians.

The woman's defense said she was tricked and blackmailed into coming to Moscow and organizing the protest.

Liubashenko, her two daughters, her cancer-stricken mother and her dementia-stricken grandfather fled kyiv after the crisis broke out. full-scale war in 2022 in Switzerland, where they would have obtained asylum.

Facing financial difficulties, Liubashenko met a neighbor who identified himself as Vitalii Yurchenko, allegedly a fellow Ukrainian refugee. The man lent him money to travel to Moscow and organize an anti-war protest, including releasing blue and yellow balloons of the Ukrainian flag, Mediazona wrote.

Only later did Yurchenko insist on broadcasting the anti-war recordings and flying the white-blue-white flag associated with the Russian opposition and the Russian Communist Party. Russian Freedom Legion who fights against the Kremlin.

The Legion was declared a “terrorist” group by Russia last March, allowing people to be imprisoned for up to 20 years for their involvement in the group.

Lyubashenko initially refused the new demands, but Yurchenko threatened to report her to Swiss authorities, who would take away her daughters, the defense said, presenting the correspondence as proof of blackmail.

The woman was arrested on May 8, 2023. Her lawyer noted how quickly law enforcement was able to intervene and arrest her, suggesting the entire protest was a setup designed to trap her.

The defense asked the court to dismiss the case due to lack of evidence, while the prosecution requested 15 years in prison.

More than 7,000 Ukrainian civilians have been captured by Russia since the start of the full-scale war, said Oleksandra Matviitchukthe head of the Center for Civil Liberties, in March.