A thousand cases were opened in Crimea against residents of Kherson region for criticizing the Russian army

In Crimea, residents of the occupied Kherson region are being fined en masse for anti-war statements, even for remarks or posts on social media. People are stopped at the administrative border, their phones are checked, and their cases are referred to Crimean courts.

This was reported by Krym.Realii.

Crimean courts controlled by Moscow are massively punishing residents of the occupied part of Kherson region for speaking out against the war. As the journalists found out, people are being tried under the article on "discrediting the Russian Armed Forces" - in particular, anti-war poems, critical posts on social networks, or even remarks found during phone checks.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Crimean courts have received more than 1,200 administrative cases under this article. All examples concern residents of the left-bank Kherson region who have Russian passports and were fined in the spring of this year on the basis of publications that expressed an anti-war position or support for Ukraine.

Despite the presence of occupation administrations in the Kherson region, the cases are transferred to Crimean courts. The reason for this is the increased checks at the administrative border with Crimea. The FSB stops people, checks their gadgets, and takes them to court if they find any references to Ukraine.

For example, in March, the Russian-controlled Armyansk City Court considered an administrative case against a woman who had a passport issued by the occupation Russian Interior Ministry in Kherson Oblast. The protocol was drawn up after monitoring her cell phone - according to the court's decision, the woman was punished for an anti-war poem.

Experts explain this by the desire of the Russian authorities to control the mood in the occupied territories and pacify people with pro-Ukrainian views.

Human rights activists recommended that residents of the temporarily occupied territories observe information security: do not share pro-Ukrainian posts, delete traces of activity, and avoid public statements.

In February, a new decree by the so-called Governor Saldo came into effect in the temporarily occupied part of Kherson region, prohibiting residents from using equipment for receiving satellite radio and television signals, including equipment that allows them to receive Ukrainian channels. This ban is yet another step in Russia's systematic assault on human rights, similar to the one in annexed Crimea.

Recently, Ukraine proved in the European Court of Justice that Russia deliberately violates the rights of people in the occupied territories. A total of 1101 lawsuits have been registered by Ukrainian citizens, most of them concerning the illegal alienation of property.

Анна Бальчінос