The court has ordered compulsory treatment for a 66-year-old man from Voronezh, a major city in southwestern Russia, who is accused of inciting extremism.

The Leninsky District Court in Voronezh, a major city in southwest Russia, has released 66-year-old Yuri Avsenev from criminal liability in a case related to incitement to extremism (Part 2, Article 280 of the Criminal Code) and sent him for compulsory treatment. This is according to the case information card on the court’s website, which OVD-Info has drawn attention to.

The decision was made on 17 September by Judge Vladimir Batykov.

The case card does not specify whether Avsenev was sent for outpatient or inpatient treatment.

The case against the elderly Voronezh resident was opened this spring over comments in the group “Fake Reality” on VKontakte. Under a post featuring a picture of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a German eagle on his head, Avsenev wrote: “Death to the fascist occupiers.” Under another post he commented: “Glory to Ukraine.”

According to the media outlet SloVo Zashchite, during his first interrogation, the elderly activist admitted guilt because he was in a hurry to get home, fearing his fridge, unplugged from the mains, would leak.

Avsenev was awaiting trial under travel restrictions, but in August, at the request of the FSB, the court sent him to a psychiatric hospital. At that time, the case had not yet proceeded to trial on the merits.

Last spring, Avsenev was arrested for a day because of his comment “Glory to Ukraine.” The court found him guilty of displaying prohibited symbols (Part 1, Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). In February 2022, he was detained at an anti-war rally.