Doctor in Moscow: Six years in prison for Ukraine criticism required!

Doctor in Moscow: Six years in prison for Ukraine criticism required!

In a shocking case, which shows the limits of freedom of expression in Russia, the 68-year-old pediatrician Nadezhda Buyanova is brought to trial. The authorities are calling for a six-year prison sentence for the doctor, who is said to have made critical statements about the Ukraine war during a private appointment with a patient and his mother. The allegations come from the ex-wife of a soldier who is missing in the Ukraine conflict, and she accuses Buyanova of blaming Russia for the war and saying that the boy's father is a legitimate goal for the Ukrainian troops.

Buyanova was arrested in February and initially released under conditions, but two months later she was taken into custody because the authorities claimed that she had violated the requirements. It is accused of spreading "false" information about the Russian army, an accusation that was raised as part of the strict military censorship laws that are used to combat different opinions.

emotional statements in the courtroom

In a moving moment during the trial in which she was tied up behind a glass cage, Buyanova called: "I am innocent." She emphasized that she was born in LVIV, a city in Ukraine, and feel connected to three Slavic peoples - Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. "I'm not a politician. ... I'm just a doctor," she added.

The allegations against them were underpinned by the statements of a seven -year -old boy who claimed in an earlier procedure that Buyanova said, "Russia is an aggressor state, and Russia kills peaceful people in Ukraine." Buyanova rejected the statements and questioned whether the boy was put under pressure, but the court did not consider. Supporters, including several doctors, came to the courtroom to show their solidarity while the situation was described as absurd.