Defence treats sentence to journalist Nozdrinov as too harsh

The sentence of 8.5 years for journalist Alexander Nozdrinov is quite harsh, his advocate believes, adding that the verdict would definitely be appealed against. Nozdrinov was convicted for his help to other people, his wife Ekaterina has noted.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Alexander Nozdrinov, a journalist from the Krasnodar Territory, was charged in a criminal case for disseminating fake news about the Russian Army. His relatives have linked his persecution with his civic position.

Natalia Volivach, his advocate, has treated the sentence, although standard for this imputed article, as too severe. "The article implies from 5 to 10 years of freedom deprivation; and awarding 8.5 years in jail to a man with three children, two of whom are minors, who has no previous convictions and positive characterization is quite harsh," Natalia has noted.

Ekaterina, Alexander's wife, spoke about the reasons for her husband's prosecution. "He became a social activist. Appeals began coming to him for various reasons - to help someone or with something. Then, when the police used to stop him on roads, he filmed them and posted them in his YouTube channel with comments on what they were doing and saying wrong. And, finally, villagers came to him with a complaint that their land plots were being taken away. And before the arrest, my husband found out to whom of officials these land plots had gone. That is, in their opinion, he got in where he shouldn't have to, and he was arrested," the wife has concluded.