A Russian court has sentenced Nadezhda Buyanova, a 68-year-old pediatrician from Moscow, to five and a half years in a penal colony.
Spreading False Information
She was charged with spreading “false information” about the Russian military after allegedly making comments about Russian soldiers in Ukraine.
This sentence followed a complaint from a patient's mother, who accused Buyanova of making statements critical of Russian soldiers, according to Digi24.
Prosecutors sought a six-year sentence, but the court ultimately sentenced her to a slightly shorter term. Buyanova has denied making the statements in question.
Protesters Gathered at Sentencing
The case originated in February when Anastasia Akinshina, the mother of one of Buyanova's patients, filed a report.
Akinshina’s former husband, the father of her child, had died fighting in Ukraine for the Russian military. She alleged that Buyanova referred to him as a "legitimate target" of Ukraine.
Akinshina recorded a video of her account and posted it on Mash, a Telegram channel with over three million followers and ties to Russia’s security services.
This video led to an official investigation into Buyanova, who was placed in detention in April.
Buyanova’s case highlights a broader trend in Russia. Since the start of the Ukraine conflict, the Russian government has cracked down heavily on individuals speaking out against the war.
According to the Russian human rights group OVD-Info, over 1,000 people have faced criminal charges for anti-war statements, and more than 20,000 have been detained during protests.
Buyanova’s situation is part of a series of cases where Russians have faced legal consequences for even perceived dissent.
Supporters of Buyanova gathered in the courtroom to hear the verdict, many wearing shirts with her image and protesting her sentence.
They shouted "Shame!" when Judge Olga Fedina announced the guilty verdict. Russian media quoted her lawyer, Oscar Cherdzhiev, who called the sentence "monstrously cruel."
A group of Russian doctors has also defended Buyanova, writing an open letter condemning the charges as a "disgrace." An online petition demanding her release has gained over 6,000 signatures.
