Dmitry Ivanov, a fourth year student at the Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics of the Moscow State University and the author of an opposition Telegram channel Протестный МГУ (Protesting MSU), has been arrested by the police in Moscow on June 3. Ivanov is being criminally charged under the infamous new Russian law about “fake” information about Russian military (clause “d” part 2 of article 207.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). At the time of his June 3 arrest Ivanov was already serving a 25-day administrative detention for organizing an unsanctioned protest rally.
Under the new criminal charge Ivanov faces up to ten years in prison. He is accused, in particular, of referring to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as a war, and of posting information about the Russian military’s massacres in Bucha and Irpin.
Even before the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine, Ivanov’s channel Протестный МГУ regularly covered pro-democracy and opposition student activities, including actions in support of Azat Miftakhov. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ivanov’s channel became a prominent forum for anti-war views.
On July 18 the Moscow City Court heard a motion by Dmitry Ivanov’s lawyers for his release, but, not unexpectedly, the court denied this motion. Ivanov remains imprisoned pending his trial.
The case of Azat Miftakhov 