Russian activist who assisted Ukrainian sailors sentenced to 4 years in prison
On September 5, a court in Moscow sentenced the Russian activist Konstantin Kotov to four years in prison for “repeated violation of the rules for holding rallies” (Article 212.1 of the Russian Criminal Code), Radio Liberty reports.
“The court found that Kotov had repeatedly violated the rules for holding public protests over the past 180 days,” noted Judge Stanislav Minin.
The aforementioned article of Russia’s Criminal Code has become known as the “Dadin” article, after the activist Ildar Dadin, who was the first to be condemned according to it.
Kotov attended the verdict pronouncement wearing a T-shirt of the Ukrainian political prisoner and filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, who was sentenced 20 years in high security prison in Russia for damaging the door of the Russian Community of Crimea and the window of the Crimean office of the United Russia party. The Russian authorities accused him of founding a “terrorist group” in Crimea.
Kotov frequently did solitary rallies in support of Ukrainian political prisoners and in protest against the annexation of Crimea. He also organized food parcels for the Ukrainian sailors held in Russian prison.
Russia’s Prosecution Office asked for Kotov to receive four and a half years in prison.
In August, a district court in Moscow arrested Kotov for “repeated violations of the order of organizing or holding rallies”. His house was searched, and he was found to own a copy of the book “Our Crimea: A History of the Russian Myth” by the Crimean publicist and historian Serhii Hromenko. The Memorial advocacy center has declared Kotov a political prisoner.