Lev Lerman, a 66-year-old Jewish citizen of Russia, was sentenced today (Monday) to four years in prison for sharing a post criticizing Russia's war in Ukraine on Facebook.
Lerman, a resident of Nizhny Novgorod, was arrested shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine after he shared a post on his Facebook page calling on Russian citizens to take to the streets and demonstrate against the war.
The judge granted the prosecution's request to sentence Lerman to four years in prison, which he will serve in a penal colony.
According to the indictment filed against him, Lerman was accused of "organizing an unauthorized public event" and of possessing ammunition and weapons. Shortly after his arrest, police raided Lerman's home, and according to the indictment, several shotgun cartridges were found in his home.
Russia has in recent months imposed harsher penalties on people who criticize the war Russia launched against Ukraine in February 2022.
Many activists who tried to protest against the war were arrested and some have said that they were subjected to severe torture in the detention centers in order to expose other activists who wanted to protest against the war. Activists protesting against the mass conscription into the Russian army ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin last month were also arrested and some were sentenced to long prison terms.
Meanwhile, Russia launched an angry response to the condemnation issued by Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid following the Russian attack against targets in Ukraine during Sukkot. "We heard words of 'strong condemnation' from the Israeli officials for 'Russia's attacks on the civilian population' of Ukrainian cities. According to the Ministry of Defense of Russia, today the Russian forces launched a precision attack on Ukraine's military control, communications and energy facilities," said a statement published by the embassy Russia in Israel.
It is also said that "It is worth noting that, unfortunately, Israel has chosen to remain silent during eight years of continuous Ukrainian terrorist attacks on the citizens of Donbas, turned a blind eye to the latest Ukrainian murderous attack on a refugee convoy in the Kharkiv region, monstrous murders of citizens in other cities in Ukraine using neo- Nazis, the brutal murder of a journalist from Russia, a Ukrainian terrorist attack on the Crimean bridge and many other horrific crimes by the regime in Kyiv."
The Russian embassy's statement came in response to Lapid's condemnation of its launching of 83 missiles at cities across Ukraine. "I strongly condemn the Russian attack on the civilian population in Kyiv and other cities in Ukraine. I send sincere condolences to the families of the dead and the Ukrainian people," Lapid said.