Bagautdinov Alik Azritovich

March 9, 2023, in the Republic of Bashkortostan, unknown individuals set fire to a relay cabinet at the 109th kilometer of the railway section between Sibai and Almukhametovo. As a result of the arson, the equipment was completely out of order, but train traffic was not disrupted. The next day, on March 10, in the city of Sibai, a 22-year-old local resident, Alik Bagautdinov, was detained on charges of arson. According to the investigation, on March 7, Bagautdinov bought a two-liter plastic bottle of kerosene at a hardware store, and then set fire to it. According to the security forces, he committed the arson 'with the aim of ending' the war in Ukraine. Initially, a criminal case was opened against Bagautdinov for bringing communication routes into disrepair, but the charge was later reclassified as sabotage, and a charge of state treason was also added. Security forces claim that a resident of Sibai "received an assignment from Ukrainian military intelligence" and "from May 2022 to March 2023, he tried to involve his acquaintances in the activities of the Freedom of Russia legion." 3. In addition, Bagautdinova was accused of discrediting the Russian Armed Forces due to the publication of a certain video and of treason due to the alleged recruitment into the 'Freedom of Russia' legion. For the duration of the investigation, the young man was sent to a pre-trial detention center. On July 4, 2024, the Supreme Court of Bashkortostan found Alik Bagautdinov guilty and sentenced him to 15 years, of which the first 3 years he will spend in prison, the remaining in a strict regime colony, with a restriction of freedom for 1 year. The charge of discrediting the RF Armed Forces was apparently dropped. On September 13, 2024, the Fourth Appellate Court of General Jurisdiction upheld the verdict.