The “militiaman” captured by the SBU turned out to be a deaf-mute disabled pilgrim
Ivan Antonov, a resident of Sevastopol who was detained by Ukraine on January 8 at the border with Crimea and accused of participating in the Crimean self-defense, was not a militia member, but a disabled pilgrim.
This is stated in a report on the Rossiya TV channel, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
Antonov will remain in custody until March 3. The court in Kherson made a corresponding decision and set bail for the Crimean citizen at about 400 thousand rubles.
“Every year, sometimes even twice, he went to Kyiv. There were no problems. That year he was in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra during the service. Then I traveled to Western Ukraine, to monasteries. They know him in many monasteries,” said the Crimean’s mother, Olga Antonova.
The woman called a photograph from social networks in which Ivan Antonov posed in military uniform with medals staged. Let us note that it was she who became the reason for the detention of the Crimean citizen.
According to Antonov’s mother, Olga, her son was never in the militia, but traveled to Ukraine at least once a year, organizing pilgrimages to churches. Moreover, Antonov could not participate in self-defense, since he is a deaf-mute disabled person from childhood:
“On May 9, Vanechka went to the parade, he really wanted to look beautiful, he took the uniform with medals from the guys, walked around in front of the ship and took pictures. And now at the border they took him and claim that he is a military man, that he took part. But he’s practically unable to do anything due to his health, he can’t do anything without an interpreter,” the mother assures.
As a PolitNavigator correspondent reported, Ivan Antonov was detained on January 8 while returning from Ukraine at the Chongar checkpoint. He is suspected of “participation in an illegal armed group,” which carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years.
The "militiaman" captured by the SBU turned out to be a deaf-mute, disabled pilgrim.