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The Vakhitovsky District Court of Kazan has remanded a 39-year-old local resident in custody, charging him with justifying terrorism online (Part 2, Article 205.2 of the Russian Criminal Code), reports the court’s press service.
“RT Online” writes that the detainee is named Artur Sagiev.
The case was initiated over his comments on Telegram, posted from August to October 2024.
The outlet KazanFirst, citing the FSB Directorate for Tatarstan, reported that the man was detained on 31 July due to comments in pro-Ukrainian Telegram channels, in which he spoke approvingly about attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Russian territory. The publication described Sagiev as “a supporter of the extremist ‘LGBT’ movement and the radical opposition.” The newspaper AiF-Kazan wrote that “LGBT symbols” were found in his flat.
The court noted that Sagiev had previously been repeatedly held administratively liable under articles for “discrediting the army” (Part 1, Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences) and “incitement of hatred” (Article 20.3.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences).
In October 2024, the Vakhitovsky District Court fined the man twice under the “discrediting” articles. In total, he was ordered to pay fines amounting to 60,000 rubles (about US$670). In one court decision, it is stated that Sagiev, in his Telegram comment, “expressed joy that the Russian Armed Forces’ electronic suppression equipment was not functioning.” In the second, that he wished the Ukrainian army to improve their weaponry in order to defeat Russia, in the open Telegram chat “Premium Nevzorov Chat.”
At the time, the Kazan resident admitted guilt in both cases. At one of the hearings he said he was in pain over the current situation and the “war of the Slavic people.”
In addition, in November 2024, the Privolzhsky District Court of Kazan jailed Sagiev for 15 days over incitement of hatred. According to the protocol, he posted comments “demeaning human dignity with regard to Russians on the basis of nationality.” For example, regarding news of a drone attack on a primary oil processing unit at a refinery in Kapotnya (a district of Moscow), he wrote: “Now the russkies won’t have primary processing, only secondary and tertiary! Goida!”