On 28 March 2024, a court in the Russian city of Kaliningrad sentenced local journalist and activist Mikhail Feldman to two years of prison on charges of “repeatedly discrediting” the Russian army, Russian independent media reported. The court also banned him from administering websites for a period of two years.
Feldman was found guilty for having authored publications on the Russian social media Vkontakte, in which he denounced Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It was not clear which concrete publications served as the basis of the accusation, however prosecutors in the case did mention 11 instances in which Feldman would have “discredited” the Russian army. The journalist and activist was reportedly accused following an anonymous denouncement.
Feldman was detained in May 2023 and was later allowed to await trial outside of prison, under the condition that he would stay at home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., as well as that he would not come within 50 meters of the Kaliningrad town hall. He was detained on March 7: according to the journalist and activist, he was at a shopping mall opposite the town hall and his electronic bracelet detected that he had approached the administrative building.
Feldman’s lawyer earlier asked judges not to place him under arrest, as he suffers from cerebral palsy and is legally obliged to take care of his elderly mother as her only child.
UPDATE: On 17 January 2024, a court of cassation confirmed the 2-year prison sentence earlier handed to Feldman.