“Network” («Сеть») was allegedly an anti-government anarchist organization active in Russia in 2015–2017. Its alleged "members" were arrested in 2017 and sentenced on February 10, 2020 by the Russian military court in Penza to prison terms from 6 to 18 years.
- Dmitri Pchelintsev — sentenced to 18 years in maximum security prison.
- Ilya Shakursky — sentenced to 16 years in maximum security prison and a fine of 50,000 roubles (about $536 U.S. dollars as of April 2024).
- Andrew Chernov — sentenced to 14 years in maximum security prison.
- Maxim Ivankin — sentenced to 13 years in maximum security prison.
- Mikhail Kulkov — sentenced to 10 years in maximum security prison.
- Vasiliy Kuksov — sentenced to 9 years in prison.
- Arman Sagynbaev — sentenced to 6 years in prison.
The case of “Network” caused a wide condemnation in Russia, with many protesting against the trials and sentencing.[1] Andrei Kolesnikov from the Carnegie Moscow Center went on to label the story of the “Network” as “the return of Stalinist show trials,” referencing the Moscow trials instigated by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union between 1936 and 1938.[2] According to Amnesty International's representative, the organization itself had never existed;[3] Amnesty International had previously expressed concern about torture and other ill-treatment used by FSB to extract confessions from the defendants.[4] Memorial Society from Moscow also claimed that the whole case was fabricated and politically motivated, and designated the accused as political prisoners.[5]
"Network" is listed as a terrorist group in Russia.[6]
See also
- Arkhangelsk FSB office bombing
- People's Self-Defense (Russia)
- Azat Miftakhov
- Tyumen case of anti-fascists
References
- ^ «Решение по делу „Сети“ — самый настоящий акт террора» Archived 2020-02-18 at the Wayback Machine, Знак, 18.02.2020. (In Russian)
- ^ The Return of Stalinist Show Trials Archived 2020-02-19 at the Wayback Machine, The Moscow Times, 11.02.2020.
- ^ Russia: Prosecution for membership of a non-existent “terrorist” organization must stop Archived 2020-02-18 at the Wayback Machine, Amnesty International, 7.02.2020.
- ^ Russian Federation: The Network Case, Shrouded In Secrecy And Marred By Numerous Torture Allegations Archived 2020-02-18 at the Wayback Machine, Amnesty International, 24.12.2018.
- ^ They were Russian vegans, environmentalists, antifascists and airsoft players. Then they were accused of terrorism. Archived 2020-02-18 at the Wayback Machine, The Washington Post, 10.02.2020.
- ^ "Единый федеральный список организаций, в том числе иностранных и международных организаций, признанных в соответствии с законодательством Российской Федерации террористическими :: Федеральная Служба Безопасности". Archived from the original on 2018-12-24. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
Further reading
- Russia Sentences Anti-Fascists on Bogus Terror Charges, Critics Say, The New York Times, Feb. 10, 2020.
- Russian antifascist group given 'monstrous' jail terms, The Guardian, Feb. 10, 2020.
This page was last edited on 23 April 2024, at 19:01