Odesa court sets a precedent by convicting woman for TikTok video

The Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa found a resident of the city guilty of obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during a special period.

According to the Judicial and Legal Newspaper, for the first time in Ukrainian judicial practice, digital traces, short videos from TikTok, were assessed not just as evidence of anti-mobilization sentiments, but even as objective evidence in criminal proceedings.

According to the court's decision, online behavior can have real consequences for the state, as social media are becoming a field of information warfare. According to the investigation, between December 2024 and January 2025, a resident of Odesa published dozens of videos on her TikTok page that showed episodes of mobilization activities (serving summonses, operating checkpoints, etc.) with accompanying comments, which, according to investigators, had a demoralizing effect and could be used by the enemy to correct their actions. The case file also states that in one of the episodes of the pre-trial investigation, the fact of intent to obstruct the activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was established.

A detailed study of the TikTok page revealed more than 150 thousand subscribers. Finally, the seized smartphone confirmed that it was from this device that the videos were uploaded to the social network. Each of these elements individually might have seemed like a small thing, but together they created a convincing body of evidence.

Having carefully listened to all the arguments, the court found the woman guilty and sentenced her to five years in prison for obstructing the legitimate activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations during a special period. At the same time, the woman was released from serving her sentence with probation, setting a probationary period of two years.

Кирило Бойко