{"id":41444,"date":"2025-04-30T17:33:03","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T14:33:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/news\/my-schitaem-politzaklyuchyonnym-piruza-pejkrishvili\/"},"modified":"2025-06-17T01:42:35","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T22:42:35","slug":"my-schitaem-politzaklyuchyonnym-piruza-pejkrishvili","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/my-schitaem-politzaklyuchyonnym-piruza-pejkrishvili\/","title":{"rendered":"Piruz Peikrishvili is a political prisoner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A resident of Khabarovsk Krai has been sentenced to six years in a penal colony on charges of repeatedly \u2018discrediting\u2019 the Russian army and spreading \u2018fake news\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018Political Prisoners. Memorial\u2019 human rights project, in accordance with <\/strong>international standards<\/strong><\/a>, considers Piruz Peikrishvili a political prisoner. Peikrishvili was convicted on criminal charges of spreading information known to be false about the Russian army and of repeated \u2018discrediting\u2019 of the Russian army. Peikrishvili\u2019s prosecution and conviction violated his rights to freedom of expression and a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Piruz Peikrishvili and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Piruz<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What were the charges against Piruz Peikrishvili?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Piruz Peikrishvili, a resident of the village of Khurba in Khabarovsk Krai, regularly published posts about politics on his page on the Odnoklassniki social media site, including criticism of Russia\u2019s war against Ukraine and mobilisation. As a result, he faced repeated administrative-law charges. On 29 May 2023, he was fined for \u2018discrediting\u2019 the army under administrative law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 13 December 2023, Peikrishvili was convicted of repeated \u2018discrediting\u2019 of the Russian army (Article 280.3, Part 1, of the Russian Criminal Code), for a video in which he criticised a presidential decree on military training and described the authorities\u2019 actions as a betrayal of the country\u2019s interests. He was given a one-year suspended sentence and banned from administering websites for two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortly afterwards, a new criminal case was opened against him on two charges: repeated \u2018discrediting\u2019 of the Russian army (Article 280.3, Part 1); and \u2018spreading fake news\u2019 about the Russian army (Article 207.3, Part 2) for comments about the war and what the blogger believed was an impending new wave of mobilisation. The case went to court in May 2024, and in September 2024, Peikrishvili was remanded in custody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 12 December 2024, Peikrishvili was convicted as charged. Taking into account the unserved portion of his previous sentence, he was sentenced to six and a half years in a penal colony and banned from administering websites for three and a half years on release. On 27 February 2025, a court of appeal overturned the aggregate sentence, on the grounds that Peikrishvili had made the posts which were the subject of his second prosecution before his first conviction had entered into force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, Peikrishvili was sentenced to six years in a penal colony and banned from publishing online for three years. His computer and mobile phone were also confiscated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do we consider Piruz Peikrishvili a political prisoner?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The articles of the Russian Criminal Code on \u2018fake news\u2019 and \u2018discrediting\u2019 the Russian army, under which Peikrishvili was prosecuted, were adopted into law immediately after Russia began its full-scale war against Ukraine. These laws effectively criminalise any criticism of the authorities and any information about the war that diverges from the official version, in violation of the civil right to freedom of expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, the law on \u2018fake news\u2019 violates the principle of legal certainty since, in the given context, a person cannot know in advance what statements or information may be deemed false. Still less is it possible to prove that such information was \u2018known to be false\u2019 and, as such, intentionally spread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These two articles of the Criminal Code contradict the Russian Constitution, the country\u2019s international obligations and fundamental principles of law. We consider all charges brought under them to be unlawful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peikrishvili\u2019s prosecution under unlawful legislation speaks to the fact that his publications posed no real danger to society. Anti-war statements in themselves should not be grounds for criminal prosecution, let alone imprisonment. On the contrary, criticism of the war is beneficial to society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A detailed description of Piruz Peikrishvili\u2019s case and of our position is available on our website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recognition of an individual as a political prisoner does not imply the project, \u2018Political Prisoners. Memorial,\u2019 agrees with, or approves, their views, statements, or actions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can you help?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can write to Piruz Peikrishvili at the following address:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Russian: 681000, \u0425\u0430\u0431\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043a\u0440\u0430\u0439, \u0433. \u041a\u043e\u043c\u0441\u043e\u043c\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0441\u043a-\u043d\u0430-\u0410\u043c\u0443\u0440\u0435, \u0426\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u043e\u043a\u0440\u0443\u0433, \u0443\u043b. \u041f\u0438\u043e\u043d\u0435\u0440\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f 23\u0430, \u0424\u041a\u0423 \u0421\u0418\u0417\u041e-2 \u0423\u0424\u0421\u0418\u041d \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438 \u043f\u043e \u0425\u0430\u0431\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u043e\u043c\u0443 \u043a\u0440\u0430\u044e, \u041f\u0435\u0439\u043a\u0440\u0438\u0448\u0432\u0438\u043b\u0438 \u041f\u0438\u0440\u0443\u0437\u0443 \u0411\u0435\u0441\u0441\u0430\u0440\u0438\u043e\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0438\u0447\u0443, 1968 \u0433. \u0440.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EN: Piruz Bessarionovich Peikrishvili (born 1968), Remand Prison No. 2, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Khabarovsk Krai, 23a Pionerskaya Street, Tsentralny district, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Khabarovsk Krai, 681000, Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also send emails via the ZT<\/a> service (for payment with Russian bank cards), OVD-Info<\/a> and Memorial-France<\/a> (free of charge).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the intended recipient.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can donate<\/a> to help all political prisoners in Russia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-41444","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","regions-khabarovsk-krai","news-type-nashi-novosti-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPiruz Peikrishvili is a political prisoner - Political prisoners support. 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