Russia anti-fascist group given ‘monstrous’ jail terms

MOSCOW: A Russian court on Monday sentenced a group of young anarchists to between six and 18 years in prison on terror and other charges, with critics decrying “the monstrous” punishment. A military court in the central city of Penza handed down the verdict in the “Network” case, Sergei Morgunov, a lawyer for one of the seven defendants, told AFP.

Rights activists and defence lawyers have strongly criticised the probe overseen by the FSB security service, a successor to the KGB, saying the men had been tortured. All seven had denied the charges. Dmitry Pchelintsev and Ilya Shakursky were convicted of creating a “terrorist organisation”, among other charges, and sentenced to 18 and 16 years in prison respectively. The FSB accused Pchelintsev, 27, of creating the “Network” organisation with the goal of overthrowing the government and seeking to attack government offices and employees.

Five other men were found guilty of participating in the organisation. Several members of the group were also convicted of the illegal possession of weapons and explosives and attempted drug trafficking.

Five of the seven men will serve their terms in a maximum security prison. Arrested in 2017 and 2018, most defendants have said they had been tortured in custody with electrodes and beaten to extract a confession.