In Perm, the writer was sued for defamation because of a conversation on the street

In Perm, an 82-year-old writer was issued a protocol for discrediting the Russian army because of a conversation on the street. The discrediting of the army was also found in his books. This was reported by lawyer Artyom Faizulin.

According to him, pensioner Alexander Nikonov was selling his books in a Perm park when a young man talked to him. During the conversation, among other things, Nikonov spoke about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Also, when the interlocutor declared his desire to participate in the war, Nikonov said that he could be killed there and advised them to “listen to the oppositionists who speak the truth about Russia.”

After that, the interlocutor left, promised the writer “a lot of trouble” and reported to the police. In the department, a protocol was drawn up on Nikonov. His books were called “literature aimed at discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation” in the protocol.

• Russian courts consider any anti-war speeches or reports about the participation of Russian troops in war crimes to be discreditable. The article provides for a fine of up to 50,000 rubles, and for repeated violations, a criminal case with a penalty of up to five years in prison is threatened.
• According to Mediazona’s calculations, by the beginning of June 2023, more than seven thousand cases of discrediting the Russian army had been opened in Russia.