Human rights defenders recognize Mikhail Balabanov as political prisoner

The case against Mikhail Balabanov, convicted under the article on terrorism for preparing to set fire to a military registration and enlistment office in the Stavropol Territory, was the result of a provocation by the FSB, stated the “Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial” human rights project. The human rights defenders demanded to release Mikhail Balabanov.

The criminal proceedings against Mikhail Balabanov is aimed at intimidating society and is a consequence of his pacifist position, the “Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial” human rights project declares.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on May 22, in Rostov-on-Don, a military court sentenced Mikhail Balabanov to 4.5 years of imprisonment for preparing to set fire to a military registration and enlistment office in Nevinnomyssk. The defendant did not deny committing specific actions, but refused to recognize them as preparation for a terror act.

An unidentified person contacted Mikhail Balabanov on Telegram after his call to a Ukrainian project of the same title. Among the witnesses in the criminal case, there is no one who would say that he or she knew anything about the intention of Mikhail Balabanov to commit a terror act or even simply leave for Ukraine. There is also no evidence that the young man behaved suspiciously and could arouse the interest of the law enforcement bodies.

Mikhail Balabanov himself reported that some remarks with his consent to commit arson and his approval of that action, which in reality did not exist, were added to the correspondence incriminated against him.

The human rights defenders note that there is no objective evidence of the Mikhail Balabanov’s real intention to commit a terror act. According to the investigators' version, the purpose of the Mikhail Balabanov’s address to the Ukrainian project and communication with the unidentified person was to leave Russia in order to avoid military service and possible deployment to the special military operation (SMO) in Ukraine.

“I had no intention of killing anyone, causing an explosion or setting fire to a military registration and enlistment office. If it had come to the above, I would refuse,” Mikhail Balabanov stated in his testimony.