Interview for propaganda cost Kherson teacher his freedom

In Kherson, a court sentenced a former lecturer at the Maritime Academy who openly supported a pseudo-referendum on the region's accession to Russia during the Russian occupation. He was found guilty of justifying the occupation and spreading pro-Russian messages.

This was reported by the Center for Public Investigations.

According to the case file, in September 2022, when Kherson was under occupation, the man took part in filming a story for Russian propaganda resources on the so-called "referendum". According to media reports, the man in question is Anatoliy Gurov, a former lecturer at the Maritime Academy.

In the recorded video, he stated that he supported "the accession of the Kherson region to Russia" and also said that he linked his future and the future of his family to Russia. This video was later distributed through Telegram channels associated with Russian propaganda.

The court concluded that such statements constituted public justification of the occupation of Ukrainian territories. During the hearing, the court examined video materials, the results of portrait and linguistic examinations, as well as the testimony of witnesses and employees of the Academy. Experts confirmed that the defendant's statements contained support for the occupation authorities and formed a positive attitude towards the Kherson region becoming part of the aggressor country.

At the trial, the man partially pleaded guilty. He explained that he acted under psychological pressure from the occupation administration and the Russian military. According to him, he was forced to work in the occupation structure of the maritime academy, and armed men were nearby during the interview. He also referred to the serious condition of his wife, the loss of property and difficult living conditions during the occupation.

During his last statement, the defendant said that "39 seconds of shame" had actually destroyed his life, and explained his actions by fear for his wife and family.

However, the court found these arguments insufficient to justify the conviction. The verdict emphasizes that the man deliberately supported the occupation policy, and the crime was committed intentionally under martial law, which was an aggravating circumstance.

In addition to the prison term, the convict must compensate more than UAH 30 thousand for the costs of conducting examinations. No measure of restraint was imposed on him before the verdict came into force.

Also at the end of April ,Maksym Abramov, a local "activist," was sentenced in absentia to 12 years in prison in Kherson. With the support of the occupation administration, the project "Streets of Kherson" was launched, which aimed to remove Ukrainian symbols from the city space. The convict became the public face of this campaign.

Анна Бальчінос