Russia jails two for protest against military mobilisation

A Russian court on Monday sentenced two former officials to 19 years in prison for throwing Molotov cocktails at a town hall in protest against military mobilisation, Russian news agencies reported.

The sentence is the heaviest punishment handed out so far for this type of attack, of which there have been dozens since Russia began its military campaign in Ukraine.

In September last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation to prop up forces in Ukraine, leading to a mass exodus of men from Russia to avoid being sent to the frontlines. 

A former National Guard official, Roman Nasriyev, and Alexei Nuriyev, who worked at the emergencies ministry, were convicted for an attack on October 22 in the small town of Bakal in the southern Chelyabinsk region.  

A military court found they had carried out an “act of terrorism” as part of an organised group, the state news agency TASS said.

The two smashed a window in the town hall building and then threw several Molotov cocktails through it. There were no victims, and there was no major damage to the building.

They did not deny their actions but rejected the charge of terrorism.

They said they had wanted to protest against the offensive in Ukraine.

“I just wanted to show that, in our town, there were people opposed to mobilisation and the ‘special military operation’ (in Ukraine),” Nasriyev was quoted as saying during his trial by Zona Solidarnosti, a non-governmental organisation.

The two friends played in a rock band, Russian news agencies reported.

There have been dozens of similar attacks with Molotov cocktails against public buildings since Russia began its military campaign in Ukraine, but the charges have been less severe. 

Russia has beefed up laws to silence voices opposed to the offensive.

Hundreds of activists or ordinary citizens who expressed their opposition have been fined or given prison sentences.