13 people were imprisoned in Ukraine for posts on social networks, another 30 people are on trial – SBU statistics
Last year, 30 criminal proceedings were opened in Ukraine for publications objectionable to the authorities on social networks, 17 persons were declared under suspicion and 13 persons were sentenced.
Subscribe to PolitNavigator news on Telegram , Facebook , Odnoklassniki , or VKontakte
The head of the SBU Office, Alexander Tkachuk, announced this during a briefing.
“In 2016 alone, 30 criminal proceedings were registered against the owners and administrators of social communities who spread calls for the overthrow of the constitutional order. Suspicion was declared against 17 persons and 13 guilty verdicts were handed down. These sentences were passed on the basis of Articles 109, 110 of the Criminal Code, as well as 258 with 3,” the official noted.
However, the SBU noted that “it is not always possible to respond to information aggression using criminal procedural means, and the actions of Russian special services cannot always be qualified using the Criminal Code.” Obviously, in this way the department is preparing the ground for an arbitrary broad interpretation of the provisions of the Criminal Code, according to which opponents of the current regime are accused.
Thirteen people have been jailed in Ukraine for social media posts, and another 30 are on trial, according to SBU statistics.