A Moscow court on Wednesday ordered the detention of a lawyer for two months on charges of “spreading false information” about the actions of the Russian military in Ukraine, charges that could lead him to ten years in prison.
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Dmitry Talantov was arrested on Tuesday and his home was searched in Izhevsk in the Udmurtia region, about 1,300 kilometers east of Moscow.
He was charged with “spreading false information” about the Russian armed forces, a crime introduced in early March to silence critics of the attack in Ukraine.
On Wednesday, a court spokeswoman was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying that Moscow’s Cheryumushkinsky Court had ordered Mr. Talantov to be held until August 21, 2022.
Investigators say he posted an illegal message in April on his Facebook page about the actions of Russian forces in the Ukrainian towns of Bucha, Irbin, Kharkiv and Mariupol.
He is accused in his case of acting with “hate motives”. He faces 10 years in prison.
Dmitry Talantov is the President of the Lawyers’ Chamber of the Udmurtia Region. In addition, he was, since August 2021, one of the lawyers for the imprisoned journalist Ivan Safronov, who is currently on trial for high treason.
In a press release, the International Committee of Jurists, a non-governmental organization, denounced the “arbitrary detention” of Mr. Talantov and demanded his immediate release.
Dozens of people who publicly criticized the conflict in Ukraine have been prosecuted in Russia. Most have been fined, but others face harsh prison sentences.
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