One of a thousand Russians convicted of criticizing the war • The defense: “Monstrously cruel sentence”
Russian pediatrician Nadezhda Buyanova has been sentenced to 5.5 years in prison for allegedly making derogatory comments about Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine, Reuters reports.
The sentence has been called “monstrously cruel” by her lawyer, and a petition for her release has received thousands of signatures.
At the same time, a new kind of whistleblowing trend seems to have gained momentum in Russia, and the pressure on those who speak out critically about the war is increasing.
It was during a visit by a mother and her seven-year-old son to Nadezhda Buyanova’s clinic in Moscow that Buyanova allegedly said inappropriate things about Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.
According to Reuters, the mother allegedly posted a video on social media in which she accuses Buyanova of saying that the boy’s father, who died fighting against Ukraine, was a “legitimate target of Ukraine.”
The clip was widely circulated and was published, among other things, on an account on the messaging app Telegram with over three million followers and which has connections to the Russian security service.
Criticized by colleagues: “A shame”
Nadezhda Buyanova herself has denied the allegations. Despite that, she was charged in February this year, and since April she has been in custody awaiting trial.
When the verdict against her was handed down last week, protests reportedly broke out in the courtroom, and several shouted “shame,” according to Russian media.
“This sentence is monstrously cruel,” said Buyanova’s lawyer Oscar Cherdzhiev in connection with the verdict, according to Russian media.
More and more indicate each other
Russian doctors have written an open letter in defense of Buyanova, calling the allegations against her a disgrace. A petition for her release has received over 6,000 signatures.
Over a thousand Russians have been jailed for criticizing the war in Ukraine, and more than 20,000 have been detained for protesting the war.
The case of Buyanova is also pointed out as a new trend in Russia, where more and more citizens are naming others and accusing them of having committed political crimes.