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During closing arguments at the 1st Western District Military Court, the prosecutor requested a seven-year prison sentence for Alexander Antonov, who is accused of inciting terrorism (Part 2, Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code) and extremism (Part 2, Article 280 of the Criminal Code), reports “Mediazona.”
Antonov, who in addition to Russian citizenship also holds Ukrainian and US passports, had asked for a fine instead of imprisonment.
“I don’t know what to say. I am shocked. Your Honour, I am 66 years old, how many years do I have left? Please don’t insist on a real prison term. This was my foolishness. What good will it do if I sit in prison? The state budget would at least receive some money from a fine. Why should I go to prison? I might have cancer. I am not an enemy of Russia and I am not a Russophobe. I acted unconsciously. I have always been an honest person,” he said in court.
Antonov added: “A poacher who repents makes the best forest ranger,” promising to return to Crimea and “tell everyone what is allowed and what is not.”
The reason for his prosecution, according to OVD-Info, were comments he posted in the “Ukraine 365” Telegram channel in 2022 and 2024:
- “I only believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine! Death to [expletive]”;
- “Bravo, Azov!” and an emoji “with a flag and a thumbs up”;
- “Degenerates, non-humans, burn all the military”;
- “Well done” in Ukrainian with several emojis.
“Mediazona,” which reported on the case, did not specify under which posts these comments were left.
At the first hearing, Antonov admitted guilt and apologised to anyone who had seen his comments. He said he left them due to ignorance of history and not understanding the “goals of the special military operation,” but while in detention he read a book by propagandist Vladimir Solovyov and “understood what Russia is fighting for.”
Antonov was detained in March 2025 while trying to leave Russia for Estonia via the land border. FSB officers confiscated his phone and found the comments supporting the Ukrainian army. After that, he was twice held under administrative charges, before being formally indicted on criminal charges.
The man was born in Perm Krai, a region near the Ural Mountains. He worked in the US for seven years before returning to Russia. “Mediazona” reported that in recent years he lived in Crimea. Meanwhile, according to his partner, Antonov did business in Ukraine and Hungary.
14:44 The 1st Western District Military Court in St Petersburg sentenced Antonov to six years in a general regime prison colony, reports “Mediazona.”
The headline of this article has been updated following the verdict