A case on “fake news” has been opened against the former deputy chair of Yabloko in the Nizhny Novgorod region (a major city east of Moscow).

A criminal case on “military fake news” (Article 207.3 of the Russian Criminal Code) has been opened against Alexey Sadomovsky, the former deputy chair of the Yabloko party’s branch in the Nizhny Novgorod region, a major city east of Moscow. This was reported by “7×7—Horizontal Russia.”

The politician is being prosecuted over two posts he published in April 2022. Investigators allege that Sadomovsky was “motivated by hatred” towards Russian military personnel. He criticised the invasion of Ukraine and wrote about the deaths of civilians in Irpin, Hostomel, Mariupol and Bucha. The posts have now been deleted.

Earlier today it was reported that Rosfinmonitoring added Sadomovsky to the “register of terrorists and extremists.” Since July, people accused in “fake news” cases have begun to be added to the register if they are alleged to have acted out of hatred.

In addition to his work with Yabloko, Sadomovsky headed the Nizhny Novgorod branch of the “Urban Projects” foundation led by Ilya Varlamov and Maxim Katz. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, Sadomovsky left the country. He has since been involved in setting up shelters for Russians who fled conscription.