Imprisoned Kremlin critic convicted again, receives 3-year sentence for opposing war in Ukraine

Imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Gorinov has once again been convicted, this time receiving a three-year prison sentence for his opposition to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. The trial, which lasted three days, highlighted Russia’s intolerance of dissent and the severe consequences faced by those who dare to speak out against the government.

Gorinov, 63, a former member of a Moscow municipal council, is already serving a seven-year prison term for publicly criticizing the invasion of Ukraine. The court in Russia’s Vladimir region ordered him to serve a total of five years in a maximum-security prison, adding an additional year to his previous sentence.

This latest conviction stems from Gorinov’s comments at a municipal council meeting where he expressed skepticism about a children’s art competition and stated that “every day children are dying” in Ukraine. These statements were deemed to be spreading false information about the Russian army, leading to his initial seven-year sentence in July 2022.

Gorinov was the first known Russian to be imprisoned under a 2022 law that prohibits any public statements deviating from Moscow’s narrative about the war. Despite his incarceration, Gorinov continued to speak out, leading to a second case against him where he was accused of justifying terrorism by discussing Ukraine’s Azov battalion and the 2022 explosion on the Crimean bridge.

During his trial, Gorinov maintained his innocence, stating that he only referred to the annexed Crimean Peninsula as Ukrainian territory and identified Azov as part of the Ukrainian army. In his closing statement, he expressed his regret for not being able to prevent the war and called for an end to the violence, displaying a hand-drawn peace symbol and a placard reading “Stop killing. Let’s stop the war” in the courtroom.

Gorinov’s case is just one of many in Russia, where over 1,100 individuals have faced criminal charges for their anti-war stance since the conflict began in 2022. Nearly 350 of them are currently imprisoned or detained in medical institutions, highlighting the harsh consequences of speaking out against the government.

As Gorinov faces yet another prison sentence for his opposition to the war in Ukraine, his supporters continue to advocate for his release and for an end to the crackdown on dissent in Russia. The fight for freedom of speech and human rights remains a critical issue in the country, as individuals like Gorinov bravely stand up against government oppression.