Those accused of setting fire to military commissariat in Kuban declared political prisoners

The project "Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial" has recognized Boris Goncharenko and Bogdan Abdurakhmanov, accused of setting fire to the military commissariat (registration and enlistment office) building in the town of Goryachy Klyuch, as political prisoners. The charge of terrorism is unjustified, human rights defenders have stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 19, a commissariat employee, interrogated in court within the arson case, could not confirm any significant damage caused to the building. This gives hope that the charges against Goncharenko and Abdurakhmanov will be softened, their advocate believes.

"Abdurakhmanov's and Goncharenko's actions have caused no significant harm to anyone. We believe that they can be qualified under a much softer article of intentional destruction or damage to one's property ... A mandatory attribute of a terror act is the motive of 'intimidating the population'. But the guys' motive was in a protest against the Russian [special military operation (SMO)] in Ukraine, as they themselves say and as confirmed by the symbol of peace left by [Abdurakhmanov] on the commissariat's wall," the project "Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial" has noted.

Now, Goncharenko and Abdurakhmanov face up to 20 years of freedom deprivation.

Let us recall that on September 30, 2022, Vladimir Tsimlyansky, the spokesman of the Russian General Staff, stated that arsons of military commissariats would be classified as terror acts.