Man faces trial in occupied Melitopol over online comment posted four years ago
Russian security forces in occupied Melitopol are prosecuting a 39-year-old resident of Novomykolaivka, a village in Melitopol District, Zaporizhzhia Region (Oblast), over a comment he posted on a messaging app in September 2022, the news agency RIA-Pivden reported.
Photo for illustrative purposes. Credit: Eren LiAccording to the occupation prosecutor’s office, the man is charged with making “public calls for terrorist activity” online under Article 205.2(2) of Russia’s Criminal Code.
The occupation authorities say he posted the comment on 7 September 2022 while in Melitopol. Security forces brought in “linguistic experts” to assess its content. He is currently under house arrest. The indictment has been approved, and the case has been referred to an occupation-run “court”.
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The occupation authorities continue to use old posts and comments by residents of the Melitopol area as grounds for criminal prosecution.
ZMINA previously reported that Russian security forces in occupied Melitopol were prosecuting a 38-year-old local resident for allegedly “using the internet to publicly call for activities that undermine “Russia’s security”.
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