Former Russian colonel fined for 'smearing' military

A former Russian military intelligence officer who supported the campaign in Ukraine has been fined for “discrediting” the armed forces.

Former Colonel Vladimir Kvachkov, 74, appeared in court on August 15 for allegedly posting three articles defaming the military using the account of a group bearing his name on the Russian social network Odnoklassniki. The Tverskoy District Court in Moscow found Kvachkov guilty of “discrediting” the Russian armed forces and fined him 40,000 rubles ($400).

Russian authorities did not disclose the specific content of the posts. During the trial, Kvachkov denied authoring the social media posts. He also said he had filed a complaint with Russia’s communications watchdog Roskomnadzor, claiming the group was impersonating him and asking them to stop their activities. Roskomnadzor said it would consider Kvachkov’s complaint on September 5.

"I have nothing to do with that group on Odnoklassniki," Kvachkov said, stressing that he does not use social media.

However, the judge said that documents provided by police showed there was enough information for trial.

Former Colonel Vladimir Kvachkov. Photo: RIA Novosti — Former Colonel Vladimir Kvachkov. Photo: *RIA Novosti*

Kvachkov, who retired in the late 1990s, called the allegations against him "fiction, lies and slander".

"To accuse an officer like me of discrediting the armed forces is an insult to me," Kvachkov said, criticizing Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

Kvachkov, a supporter of Russia's campaign in Ukraine, has said that Russia's victory was "inevitable". However, he has frequently criticised the course of the war and the Russian military leadership, arguing that they should move from "a special military operation to a full-scale war with the Ukrainian army".

In 2008, Kvachkov was acquitted by a jury of the attempted murder of Anatoly Chubais, the architect of Russia's privatization in the 1990s. In 2013, he was arrested again on charges of plotting a coup and sentenced to several years in prison.

In 2017, Kvachkov was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison for inciting hatred, after criticizing the Russian authorities in a video speech recorded in prison.

Russia has prosecuted thousands of cases of “discrediting” the military since parliament passed a wartime censorship law days after Russian troops invaded Ukraine in early 2022. Repeat offenders face up to five years in prison, while those convicted of “spreading false information” face up to 15 years.

Huyen Le (According to Moscow Times, Mediazona )

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