Knol Erik Eduardovich

On the night of July 24, 2023, in the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka in the Belgorod region, 35-year-old resident of St. Petersburg Erik Knol was detained while attempting to cross the Russian border. Police brought him to the police station, where they drew up a report on an administrative offense under the article on petty hooliganism. According to the protocol, Knol "caused a scandal in a public place, used crude obscene language, behaved arrogantly, brazenly, provocatively, did not respond to remarks to stop hooligan actions, thereby violating public order and expressing obvious disrespect for society. On the same day, Judge Alexei Yeryomenko of the Belgorod District Court of the Belgorod Region sentenced him to 10 days of administrative arrest. After serving his sentence, the man was detained again. He was accused of attempted treason, participation in the activities of a terrorist organization, and illegal crossing of the state border. According to the investigation, Knol established contact with representatives of the 'Russian Volunteer Corps' and agreed to cross the border in order to fight on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. For the duration of the investigation, the defendant was placed in a pre-trial detention center. On February 5, 2025, the 2nd Western Military District Court found Erik Knol guilty and sentenced him to 12 years in a strict regime penal colony, with the first 3.5 years to be served in prison. On October 13, 2025, the Appellate Military Court left the sentence unchanged.