Ashikhmin Vladimir Nikolaevich

In the Kirov region, no later than September 2023, a criminal case was opened against 52-year-old local resident Vladimir Asikhmin for the rehabilitation of Nazism and 'fakes' about the Russian army. The reason for the criminal prosecution under the article on the rehabilitation of Nazism was the publication on VKontakte of pictures of medals with the inscriptions: "For the genocide of the Ukrainian people 24.02.2022", For torture", For looting", For the revival of fascism. The investigation and the court considered that these medals outwardly resembled state awards of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The reason for initiating a case under the article on "fakes" was also posts on VKontakte, including about the number of peaceful Ukrainian civilians killed due to the Russian invasion, shelling of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, and crimes in Bucha. On October 10, 2023, the Kirovsky District Court found Vladimir Asikhmin guilty and sentenced him to one and a half years of imprisonment conditionally. The man was also given a two-year probation period during which he cannot change his place of residence without notification, and a two-year ban on administering websites. The verdict was not appealed and entered into legal force.