Lviv resident sentenced to six years for calls for the creation of “Little Russia” and war propaganda

A 65-year-old Lviv resident was sentenced to six years in prison with confiscation of property for calls to change the borders of Ukraine and justify Russian aggression. The appeals court's decision left the verdict of the first instance court unchanged, the Lviv region prosecutor's office reported.

The investigation established that since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the man had been using his account on the Odnoklassniki social network to distribute materials calling for the violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity.

“In his posts, the accused claimed that Ukraine would cease to exist in 2022, and called for the creation of the so-called 'Little Russia' — a state friendly to Russia,” — the prosecutor's office noted.

In addition, the man incited national hatred, distributed propaganda materials, justified Russia's armed aggression, which has been ongoing since 2014, and used the prohibited symbols of the communist totalitarian regime.

The defendant also distributed videos that denied the fact of Russian aggression against Ukraine and glorified its participants.

The defense tried to appeal the verdict and achieve acquittal, but the court rejected the appeal.

In addition to six years in prison, the man is prohibited from holding positions in state authorities for three years.