In occupied Sevastopol, man was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison for posts in support of Ukraine
In occupied Sevastopol, local resident Oleksandr Malerenko was sentenced to five years and six months in a general-regime prison camp for posts and comments on social media.
According to Censor.NET, this information was reported by the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, citing the pro-Russian Telegram channel "Crimean SMERSH."
The occupiers accused the man over posts he made online
According to the website, Russian law enforcement agencies claim that in 2024–2025, the man posted messages in public chat groups on a messaging app.
The occupying authorities claim that in these posts, he expressed support for strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces against Russian military and infrastructure targets, as well as those in the temporarily occupied Crimea and the Kerch Bridge.
Russian law enforcement officials also claim that in some of his comments, the man allegedly called for violent actions against Russian citizens.
According to a pro-Russian channel, criminal charges were filed against a Sevastopol resident after he was identified by FSB agents.
Human rights activists report being persecuted for their views
The Crimean Tatar Resource Center emphasizes that, since the occupation of Crimea, Russian authorities have systematically used legislation on so-called "extremism," "terrorism," and "discrediting" to persecute people for supporting Ukraine and criticizing the occupying regime.
Human rights activists note that criminal cases stemming from social media posts remain one of the most common tools used to exert pressure on residents of the temporarily occupied peninsula.
