Akhmetshin Ruslan Shamilevich

On March 5, 2022, 47-year-old local resident Ruslan Akhmetshin was detained in Arkhangelsk. He was accused of rehabilitating Nazism: in disseminating information expressing clear disrespect for society on a day of military glory, as well as in denying facts established by the verdict of the International Military Tribunal, and in disseminating knowingly false information about the activities of the USSR during World War II using the Internet. According to the investigation, from May 8 to 11, 2021, Akhmetshin published several posts and comments on his page on the social network VKontakte, in which he expressed disrespect for Victory Day and the Immortal Regiment campaign. In particular, he called the celebration 'victory madness,' 'a masquerade,' and 'a bacchanalia.' 11 May 2021, in response to another user's comment, he stated that the USSR and Nazi Germany were allies for two years, together unleashed World War II and occupied Poland, and also that "Hitler's tankers were trained in Kazan. In court, Akhmetshin did not plead guilty, stating that his persecution was politically motivated. On March 7, 2022, a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions was chosen for the accused. 9 May 2022 he was sent to the SIZO. On October 26, 2022, the Arkhangelsk Regional Court found Ruslan Akhmetshin guilty and, taking into account the totality of crimes, sentenced him to 2 years 6 months of imprisonment in a penal colony-settlement with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to administering websites on the Internet for 3 years. March 27, 2023, the Second Appellate Court of General Jurisdiction left the sentence unchanged.