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The Lyubertsy City Court in Moscow Region has begun hearing the case of Vladimir Osipov, who is accused of spreading so-called ‘military fakes’ motivated by hatred (paragraph ‘d’ part 2 article 207.3 of the Russian Criminal Code). This was reported by SotaVision. Osipov has been held in a pretrial detention centre since the end of last year.

According to the indictment, read out by the prosecutor, the man had posted on Odnoklassniki, describing the war in Ukraine as ‘a shameful war of a shameful president.’ He is also charged over another post which states: ‘Every criminal has their own style.’

The document stated that Vladimir Osipov allegedly posted ‘public accusations against President Putin for organising the terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge, and also accused the Russian Armed Forces of carrying out air attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine and killing children in Donbas’ on Odnoklassniki.

The defendant has not pleaded guilty. According to his lawyer, Mikhail Bespyatko, some of the posts attributed to his client appeared on a page on Odnoklassniki that doesn’t actually exist. The defence asked the court to send the case back to the prosecutor’s office.

During the hearing, the judge threatened to have Vladimir Osipov removed from the courtroom ‘until the end of the closing arguments.’

‘What, has the Constitution been cancelled, or do you not obey the law? This is some kind of psychological torment. It’s not normal. You only implement what suits you! ’ the defendant told the court.

The court also heard testimony from Osipov’s daughter. She described how, on 12 November 2024, law enforcement officers cut off the electricity in their flat and began breaking down the door. The police claimed they were searching for refugees from Syria in the building where the Osipov family lived.

‘I saw four armed people throw my father to the floor. Someone hit him with a gun butt, someone jumped on him, someone shouted: “Get the handcuffs and shackles,” someone urged, “Don’t shoot.” My father was injured. It looked like they were simply trying to kill him,’ the young woman said.

She added that she managed to call the police, who told her that Ministry of Internal Affairs officers had come for the Osipov family. After that, all communication devices belonging to the household were confiscated.

‘Behind the closed door, my mother and I listened as they restrained my father. He was covered in blood and we weren’t allowed to document any of it. His lip was split, there was a lump on his temple, head wounds and other injuries,’ continued Osipov’s daughter, adding that the officers did not want to take her father out of the flat while he was still visibly beaten.

The young woman and the defendant’s wife both described the defendant in positive terms.

15 August Vladimir Osipov fell ill during a court hearing and an ambulance was called for him, reports RusNews.

29 August Since the start of the hearings, an ambulance has already been called to court four times for Vladimir Osipov. This was reported by SotaVision.

The most recent time was yesterday, 28 August, before the hearing began. Osipov, who suffers from a chronic heart condition, had high blood pressure. Medical staff said that, although his blood pressure was high, there were no direct reasons to hospitalise him.

Vladimir Osipov himself said that he was also not receiving medical care at Pretrial Detention Centre No. 6 in Kolomna. He asked the court to postpone the hearing:

‘I have still not received the necessary medical help. Some medication was administered, but it didn’t have any effect. My blood pressure is still at the same elevated level. I have a severe headache radiating into my eye. Because of this, I can’t properly take part in the hearing or defend myself.’

Lawyer Mikhail Bespyatko supported his client, adding that Osipov was unable to participate in the hearing. Nevertheless, the trial continued and the parties began questioning operative officer Anton Zhdanov.

4 September Judge Elena Terekhova ordered Vladimir Osipov out of the courtroom for repeatedly requesting an ambulance due to high blood pressure, reports RusNews.

In today’s session, he again spoke of headaches and a general deterioration in his condition. An ambulance has been called for Osipov at every hearing, but medics consistently find no grounds for hospitalisation. Today, medics gave him a medicine to lower his blood pressure and left. According to them, Osipov had blood pressure of 240/110 and arrhythmia.

His son recorded a conversation with a doctor, who stated that Osipov would not be released from court to go to hospital. The judge refused to listen to the recording in court. She ordered Osipov out of the courtroom until the end of the closing arguments, accusing him of abusing his rights.

  • It became known in late November 2024 that law enforcement had opened a case against Vladimir Osipov and sent him to a pretrial detention centre, a couple of weeks after a preventive measure was imposed. Details of the case were not clear at the time.