Simonov Mikhail Yurevich

In Moscow in November 2022, security forces detained pensioner Mikhail Simonov. According to the investigation, on March 19 and 20, 2022, Simonov, having "a contemptuous, unfriendly and aggressively hostile attitude towards the authorities of Russia and hostility towards their actions to normalize the socio-political situation in the territory of Ukraine, published two comments about the bombing of Kyiv and Mariupol on VKontakte: "Killing children and women, we sing songs on Channel One." We, Russia, have become godless. Forgive us, Lord!" and "Russian pilots are bombing children. Simonov was charged with a criminal case of "fakes" about the Russian army on the grounds of political hatred and sent him to a pre-trial detention center. On March 30, 2023, Judge Sergei Galkin of the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow found Mikhail Simonov guilty and sentenced him to 7 years in a general regime colony. On July 25, 2023, the Moscow City Court upheld the verdict. 18 January 2024, the Second Cassation Court partially granted the defense's appeal for Mikhail Simonov and reduced his sentence by six months: to six years and six months. The reduction of the sentence on appeal was explained by the fact that the courts of previous instances did not count Simonov's donation to a charitable foundation as a mitigating circumstance.