CEO of pro-occupation "Broadcasting Company Crimea" sentenced to 12 years in prison

The CEO of the pro-occupation media holding "Broadcasting Company Crimea" has been convicted of collaborationism (Part 6 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), trespassing against the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine (Part 1 of Article 110 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), justifying Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine (Part 3 of Article 436 -2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and committing actions aimed at forceful change or overthrow of the constitutional order or take-over of government (part 3 of Article 109 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and sentenced to 12 years in prison, reports the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office.

Prosecutors proved in court that the convict began working for Russia immediately after the peninsula was occupied. He held various positions in the mass media and the occupation administration, including chief editor of the TV channel Perviy Krymskiy and deputy minister of information and communications of Crimea.

In April 2020, the convict voluntarily became the CEO of the pro-occupation non-profit "Broadcasting Company Crimea", which includes 16 pro-Russian media outlets such as Perviy Krymskiy and Krym 24.

As the CEO, he participates in political and media activities to support Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine, engages in propaganda and promotes Russian narratives, influencing the opinion of the people in the occupied territories.

Moreover, the convict uses his own social media pages to share content with calls for a violent change of the constitutional order in Ukraine and changes in the outline of its state border.

"The forensic linguistic examination confirmed that the convict's statements contain justification and denial of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine, actions and dissemination of ideas aimed at changing the territorial boundaries and the state border, as well as at supporting the decisions and actions of the aggressor state," the prosecutors noted.

According to the Center for Journalistic Investigations, the convict's name is Vadym Pervykh.

In July, an indictment against the Russia-installed head of the NGO "Regional National and Cultural Autonomy of the Crimean Tatars of the Republic of Crimea", who was charged with justifying Russia's armed aggression, was submitted to court.