Sochi engineer arrested in case on fake news about Russian Army

Investigators have toughened the charges brought against Sochi engineer Alexei Schus in a criminal case on disseminating fake news about the Russian Army. Alexei Schus, who signed a recognizance not to leave the city, has been taken into custody.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that in April, Alexei Schus was involved in a criminal case on disseminating fake news about the Russian Army as a defendant. The criminal case was instituted because of reposts on a social network made more than two years ago. Alexei Schus signed a recognizance not to leave the city.

Investigators have toughened the charges brought against Alexei Schus, and on August 15, he was sent to a SIZO (pre-trial prison), reported advocate Maria Spasibukhova.

According to the advocate’s report, investigators considered that Alexei Schus was not simply disseminating fake news about the Russian Army, but was doing that out of hatred. The Sochi engineer was also charged with illegal manufacture of firearms, the “OVD-Info”* human rights project reports.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.