Russian court sentences Dmytro Gordon to 14 years in prison in absentia

Photo credit: Ukraynska Pravda

A court in Russia sentenced Dmytro Gordon, the owner of the media outlet "Gordon", to 14 years in prison. The judgement was passed in absentia by the Western District Military Court No. 2 in Moscow on July 1, report the Russian media outlets Meduza and Mediazona.

Gordon was convicted of:

• calls for a war of aggression (Part 2 of Article 354 of the Criminal Code);
• inciting hatred with violent threats (paragraph "A" of Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code);
• public appeals to justify terrorism (part 2 of Article 205.2);
• spreading "fakes" about the Russian army, motivated by political hatred (paragraph "D" of part 2 of Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code).

The case against Gordon was open in response to his video address, published in March 2022, "Down with Putin and Lukashenka – Ukraine has already won!". In his address, he addressed the Russians and Belarusians, speaking about the "large-scale war" on Ukraine triggered by the Russian Federation, the shelling strikes on Ukrainian cities. He said that Ukraine has won, the whole world united to help Ukraine and introduced sanctions that "cut the Russians off from the entire civilized world." He called on Russians to take to the streets of their cities and say "No to war" and "no to Putin!"

"In this situation, when it's not Ukraine whose days are numbered, but you, Russians, you should go to the streets of your cities and say 'No to war!', 'No to Putin!' Today, Ukraine is fighting not only for itself, but also for you, for a free Russia. Thousands of corpses of Russian boys are scattered across Ukrainian fields and roads. They lay there, and dogs are eating them. ... Russians, Belarusians, go outside, bomb these scumbags so that they leave quicker, otherwise these scumbags will be bombing you," said Gordon in his video address.

The indictment states: "Gordon, who feels hatred for the current president of the Russian Federation and has an extremely negative assessment of the SMO (Russia's term for the war on Ukraine – Ed.), had the intention of calling for the deposition of the Russian President. In fulfillment of this plan, Gordon posted a statement on his YouTube channel calling to depose Putin in retaliation for his political or public activities."

According to the indictment, Gordon also "called on the United States to start an aggressive war on Russia with the use of nuclear weapons."

Persecution of Dmytro Gordon by Russia

In March 2022, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a case against Gordon for public calls for a war of aggression; inciting nation-based hatred or enmity, and publicly spreading false information about the actions of the Russian Armed Forces.

Gordon was added to Russia's list of organizations and individuals considered to be involved in extremist activities or terrorism. In September 2022, the Ministry of Justice of Russia added him to the list of "foreign agents".

On July 19, 2022, Russia declared Dmytro Gordon wanted. A Russian court arrested him in absentia.