Siomik Igor Viktorovich

In St. Petersburg in March 2023, a search was conducted at the home of a local 34-year-old resident Igor Siomik. SOBR fighters first broke down the entrance door, then broke into the man's apartment. Siomik was forced on camera to give "confessional" testimony — that he allegedly found a part-time job as a courier, a money carrier: "Collecting this money and transferring it to the accounts of bandit formations in Ukraine" — the man says in a trembling voice in the video. During his speech, he stumbled once, looked sideways at the kitchen cupboard, and continued speaking. It is not visible whether there was any text there. Later, these frames were shown by the REN TV channel. A criminal case was opened against Siomik for facilitating terrorist activities and illegally establishing a legal entity. According to law enforcement officials, a certain 'criminal center' was calling elderly people, intimidating them and forcing them to withdraw money from their bank cards. Then these funds were withdrawn from the accounts by Siomik and transferred by unidentified persons who were collecting funds for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including the Azov regiment. On January 26, 2023, a resident of St. Petersburg allegedly transferred 130 thousand to the accounts of the Ukrainian 'Azov', recognized as a terrorist organization. rubles. The man was also charged with registering a legal entity on another person and providing false data to the Unified State Register of Legal Entities. On March 17, 2023, the Oktyabrsky District Court of St. Petersburg sent Siomik to a remand prison. On July 15, 2024, the 1st Western Military District Court found Igor Siomik's guilt in the charge of financing terrorism unproven and acquitted him. In court, it turned out that Siomik had sold the card from which he allegedly transferred money for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to a stranger on January 12, 2023. At the same time, he changed the phone number to which the card was linked in his personal bank account. TELECOMMUNICATION OPERATORS PROVIDED THE COURT WITH INFORMATION THAT THE PHONE NUMBER BELONGED NOT TO THE SUSPECT, BUT TO A CERTAIN CITIZEN OF MOLDOVA Y. The court found the Petersburg resident guilty of the charge of illegally establishing a legal entity and sentenced him to two years and eight months in a penal colony-settlement. Taking into account the time spent in the pre-trial detention center, Siomika was released in the courtroom. On December 23, 2024, the Appellate Military Court, at the request of the prosecutor, overturned the acquittal and remanded the case for reconsideration. It is unknown whether Siomiku has been given a new measure of restraint. On April 23, 2025, the 1st Western Military District Court, upon reconsideration of the case, found Igor Siomik guilty and sentenced him to 10 years' imprisonment, with the first 3 years to be served in prison and the remaining term in a strict regime colony.