Russia opens criminal case against activist over ‘fake’ news on Ukraine – lawyer

Russian opposition chief Vladimir Kara-Murza, vice chairman of Open Russia, testifies in advance of a Senate Appropriations Condition, Overseas Operations and Relevant Plans Subcommittee listening to on “Civil Modern society Perspectives on Russia” on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 29, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Image

April 22 (Reuters) – Russia has opened a legal case in opposition to a prominent opposition activist on suspicion of spreading bogus data about Moscow’s armed forces campaign in Ukraine, his law firm mentioned on Friday.

Vladimir Kara-Murza was detained exterior his household in Moscow on April 11, hours right after CNN aired an job interview in which he criticised Russia’s steps in Ukraine.

He was later on sentenced to 15 times in jail for disobeying law enforcement orders upon becoming detained, Kara-Murza’s lawyer, Vadim Prokhorov, said at the time.

A Moscow court docket on Friday announced that Kara-Murza would remain in detention till June 12 at the ask for of the investigator dealing with the situation, Interfax news company documented.

Kara-Murza has not been formally billed and Prokhorov denies his client broke the regulation.

“Vladimir Kara-Murza is now at the most important investigation Office of Russia’s Investigative Committee,” Prokhorov wrote on Fb. “A felony case has been opened… for ‘public dissemination of intentionally phony information about Russia’s armed forces.'” Prokhorov did not say when precisely the case experienced been opened.

Individually, Russia’s justice ministry on Friday included Kara-Murza to a checklist of “international agents”, indicating he is matter to stringent fiscal reporting necessities and need to preface everything he publishes with a disclaimer. The ministry shown him as a Ukrainian agent. browse a lot more

The Investigative Committee, the state entire body that probes significant crimes, did not straight away react to a request for comment.

Russia’s parliament previous month passed a law that presents for jail conditions of up to 15 several years for people convicted of deliberately spreading “fake” news about what Moscow phone calls its “particular armed forces operation” in Ukraine.

Russian officials said the new regulation was desired for the reason that to guard its navy and overcome misinformation about its armed forces campaign in Ukraine.

Reporting by Reuters Enhancing by Jon Boyle and Daniel Wallis

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