Russia: Kazakh jailed for anti-Putin Facebook posts
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 28 December 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russia: Kazakh jailed for anti-Putin Facebook posts, 28 December 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a3bf13.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
December 28, 2016
Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev (file photo)
A Kazakh court has sentenced a man to three years in prison for posting critical social-media comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Prosecutors in the city of Aqtobe on December 27 found businessman Sanat Dosov guilty of "inciting social discord" and sentenced him to serve in a penal colony based on Facebook posts he had made from July 2014 to March 2016.
Dosov's attorney said his client would appeal the ruling.
Prosecutors said Dosov, 46, had violated the law by posting statements online that said Putin was "ruining" Russia, that were critical of his social policies, and that condemned Moscow's involvement in the fighting in eastern Ukraine.
Dosov, who is also chairman of the civic group Ihtiyar, reportedly admitted to posting the comments on social-media sites and pleaded with the court not to send him to jail as he has six dependent children.
With reporting by Nur.kz
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
