The Saratov deputy was sent to pre-trial detention center for failure to appear in court in the case of “fakes”

Oleg Nepein, a rural deputy from the Saratov region, accused in the article of so-called fakes about the Russian army motivated by political hatred or enmity, was detained and sent to the pre-trial detention center in Balashov. This is reported by OVD-Info with reference to lawyer Igor Elifkhanov, who represents the interests of the 67-year-old politician.

In early May, the Balashovsky district court declared Nepein wanted and arrested him in absentia due to his failure to appear in court. His wife told the publication that the politician does not hide, but deliberately does not go to court. Earlier, he explained that he considers himself “a human being, not a physical person”, therefore “morons who do not understand this difference cannot judge him”.

Several comments by Nepein in the “Saratov-Engels” telegram channel (the channel has already been closed) became the reason for the initiation of a criminal case on the article about the so-called fakes about the Russian army. The authorities dismissed as fakes the information that Russian troops are suffering heavy losses in Ukraine, bombed Donetsk and Luhansk, “wiped Melitopol off the face of the earth”, dropped a bomb on a drama theater in Mariupol, where women and children were hiding, and killed civilians in Buche, Kyiv region .

In December of last year, Nepein was searched and all his equipment was confiscated: flash drives, computers, hard drives and phones. After the search, Nepein was released for questioning. He refused to show the dacha.

According to lawyer Elifkhanov, in Nepein’s posts, the examination revealed a “motive of hatred and enmity” towards the “powerful structures” social group. Nepein was under a stay-at-home order.

On March 29, the court began considering his case. But, as SOTA notes, the court hearing was postponed four times due to the defendant’s non-appearance.

Nepein faces up to 10 years in prison.

• After the start of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, new administrative and criminal articles on fakes and discrediting the Russian army were adopted. According to them, anti-war statements and any statements about the war in Ukraine that do not coincide with the official position of the Ministry of Defense are considered an offense. For this, at least 528 criminal cases were opened, including 154 – on the article about fakes about the Russian army, “OVD-Info” calculated.