On May 22, the Supreme Court of Adygea approved the verdict against 39-year-old Igor Korotkov, who was found guilty under the criminal “article on fakes” (Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Public dissemination of knowingly false information about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation”).
As Dosh previously reported, Korotkov was fined 800 thousand rubles by the Krasnogvardeisky District Court. The court considered the video “Ukraine: Putin’s Defeat” from the Navalny LIVE channel, which Korotkov posted in a WhatsApp group dedicated to a rally in support of the Russian army, to be “fake.”
The video was posted in March 2022, it was noticed by employees of the Adyghe FSB Directorate, who transferred the material to the investigative department. The investigation department of particularly important cases of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for Adygea took up the matter.
At the trial, Igor Korotkov did not admit guilt, citing the fact that his information about the situation in Ukraine cannot be considered “deliberately false”, since no one refuted it.
In early April, Korotkov appealed the district court's decision. In his appeal, he indicated that not a single legislative act established the prejudicial nature of information received from representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense, therefore, it also needs to be verified for accuracy. However, this was not done, official representatives of the Ministry of Defense were not interrogated in the case, and the briefings of the Ministry of Defense, which were referred to by the investigation and the court, were not studied.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Korotkov in his appeal gave examples of how the Ministry of Defense itself disseminates false information: “At briefings, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation disseminated information that “conscripts are not involved in the SVO and do not participate in it; that there are no losses; that strikes are carried out only on military targets.” However, at subsequent briefings, the Russian Ministry of Defense acknowledged both the participation of conscripts and the loss of more than 1 thousand people and attacks on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine.”
“He was charged with disseminating false information “about large losses on the part of Russian troops, weak food and fuel and lubricant supplies.” However, this is a well-known fact; in all municipalities, officials and heads of administrations organized collections of funds - both money and food, things (equipment) for the armed forces,” the court quotes excerpts from his appeal.
Igor Korotkov is known as a public figure. He twice independently nominated himself as a candidate for elections to the Council of Deputies of the Krasnogvardeysky District of Adygea. Previously, he ran the “Social Patriot” channel on YouTube, where he posted information about social problems: sidewalk repairs, unauthorized dumps, illegal tree cutting.
In a WhatsApp group dedicated to the motor rally in support of the Russian army, he left comments: “Why was the motor rally organized, for what? In support of whom? Russian occupiers? I knew there was something unclean here. And why draw Z? There is no such letter in the Russian alphabet... Climb into someone else's territory. For what purpose? Will you like it when they come to your house and start beating and killing your relatives?”
Article 207.3 “Public dissemination of knowingly false information about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation” was included in the Criminal Code in March 2022 - in response to mass anti-war protests. At the same time, Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code “Public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation” came into force. According to Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, in the first six months more than 100 criminal cases were initiated under these two articles. In addition, “4.5 thousand administrative offenses were suppressed” - meaning liability under Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses “Public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Armed Forces.”
This is the second case of “fake news” in Adygea, notes the Kavkaz.Realii publication. In September 2022, the Maykop City Court fined local pensioner Elena Sumina 209,811 rubles 36 kopecks - this is her pension for the year.