Former teacher from Crimea, twice arrested for Ukrainian songs, banned from posting on social media for two years
Andrii Bilozerov, former teacher from temporarily occupied Simferopol, who has already been twice arrested for Ukrainian songs, has been accused of "discrediting" the Russian army and fined 100,000 roubles (roughly US$1,300). He is also banned from writing on social networks for two years.
Source: OVD-Info (an independent Russian human rights media project aimed at combating political persecution)
Details: The occupation Central District Court of Simferopol announced the verdict in this case.
Bilozerov can pay the fine gradually, 10,000 roubles (US$130) a month.
The reason for criminal prosecution was the citizen's post in the VKontakte social network. In October 2022, Bilozerov posted the following text on the social network: "Innocent children and women of Ukraine in Donbas have been bombed by the Russian Armed Forces for eight years, turning guns from the front line towards Donetsk, and for the last half a year, the Russian armed forces have again bombed Ukrainian cities and killed Ukrainian residents."
The criminal case was opened in December 2022, and since then, Bilozerov has been under house arrest.
Background:
- In September 2022, an administrative report was drawn up against Andrii Bilozerov for turning on a music video with a song about Bayraktar drones during a break between classes at a technical school. The teacher was arrested for 13 days for "discrediting" the army and "demonstrating Nazi symbols" and was dismissed from the technical school.
- In November 2022, Bilozerov was re-arrested for 14 days for posting a record of Ukrainian folk song "Oi u luzi chervona kalyna" [Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow, a Ukrainian folk song - ed.]. on his VKontakte account.
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