Russian Councillor Stages Anti-War Protest from Court Cage as New Trial Begins

LONDON, Nov 27 – Alexei Gorinov, a Moscow district councillor who is currently serving a seven-year sentence for criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, staged an anti-war protest from the courtroom cage on Wednesday as he faced new charges of justifying terrorism. The trial is part of an ongoing crackdown on dissent in Russia amid the war in Ukraine.

Gorinov, who was convicted in the summer of 2022, made headlines as the first individual in Russia to be jailed under a new wartime censorship law. The law, introduced shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, criminalizes the dissemination of “deliberately false information” about the Russian military, a charge that has been widely used to silence critics of the war.

At the start of his new trial, Gorinov, who has long been an outspoken critic of the war, used his position in the courtroom cage—a symbolic barrier for defendants in Russian trials—to stage a silent protest against the invasion. His defiance highlights the increasing risks faced by individuals in Russia who voice opposition to the war, with many facing harsh punishments under draconian laws designed to suppress anti-government sentiments.

In his earlier conviction, Gorinov had been found guilty of speaking out against the war during a council meeting, where he expressed concerns about the devastating impact the invasion was having on Ukraine and Russia. His actions made him one of the first high-profile figures to be targeted under the wartime censorship law, which has since been used to silence numerous critics.

Gorinov’s new charges, which include accusations of justifying terrorism, reflect the ongoing efforts by the Russian government to suppress dissent and portray opponents of the war as enemies of the state. The use of such charges is part of a broader campaign against civil liberties and political opposition in Russia, which has intensified since the invasion.

The trial is being closely watched by human rights organizations and international observers, who have condemned Russia’s crackdown on free speech and political dissent.