Shevchuk Andrey Nikolaevich

A criminal case was opened in Vladivostok against Andrey Shevchuk, the administrator of the Telegram channel 'Telegram Vladivostoka,' for 'fakes' about the Russian army. The exact date of detention and the measure of restraint are unknown. According to the investigation, on March 17, 2022, Shevchuk published in a channel knowingly false information 'about prisoners of war during the special military operation on the territory of Ukraine, servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation from Primorsky Krai.' 4. In January 2023, the Central District Court of Vladivostok, at the request of the defense, terminated the criminal prosecution and imposed a court fine of 30 thousand rubles on Shevchuk. The court considered that Shevchuk refuted the "false information" he had disseminated in the Telegram channel, published a number of patriotic posts in that channel dedicated to the exploits of servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces during the special military operation, and also donated 15 thousand rubles to an orphanage." "The prosecutor appealed the decision, stating that Shevchuk's actions damaged the "reputation and prestige" of the Russian Armed Forces. Appeals court left the decision in force on May 23, however, on October 12, the Ninth Cassation Court overturned this decision and sent the case back for reconsideration to the appeals court. On November 21, the Khabarovsk Regional Court decided to return the case for a new consideration in the court of first instance. On December 21, 2023, the Central District Court of Vladivostok found Andrei Shevchuk guilty and sentenced him to six months of corrective labor. The verdict was not appealed and entered into legal force.