{"id":43628,"date":"2025-05-22T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T07:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/news\/my-schitaem-politzaklyuchyonnym-vasiliya-bozhovskogo\/"},"modified":"2025-07-21T23:18:53","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T20:18:53","slug":"my-schitaem-politzaklyuchyonnym-vasiliya-bozhovskogo","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/my-schitaem-politzaklyuchyonnym-vasiliya-bozhovskogo\/","title":{"rendered":"Vasily Bozhovsky is a political prisoner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>A Moscow-based marketing specialist faces up to five years\u2019 imprisonment on a charge of spreading \u2018fake news\u2019 about the Russian army<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The \u2018Political Prisoners. Memorial\u2019 human rights project, in accordance with <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/guidelines-on-definition-of-political-prisoner\/\"><strong>international standards<\/strong><\/a><strong>, considers Vasily Bozhovsky a political prisoner. Bozhovsky is being prosecuted for social media posts on a criminal charge of disseminating information known to be false about the use of the Russian armed forces. Bozhovsky\u2019s criminal prosecution violates his rights to freedom of expression and a fair trial. We demand the release of Vasily Bozhovsky and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" src=\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/bozhovsky-eng.png\" alt=\"Vasily Bozhovsky is a political prisoner\" class=\"wp-image-43754\" srcset=\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/bozhovsky-eng.png 1200w, https:\/\/memopzk.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/bozhovsky-eng-768x403.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are the charges against Vasilii Bozhovsky?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Vasily Bozhovsky was detained on 10 April 2025 on a charge of disseminating \u2018fake news\u2019 about the Russian army (Article 207.3, Part 1, of the Russian Criminal Code). While the charge was based on Bozhovsky\u2019s social media posts, we do not know which specific publications or platforms are at issue. Bozhovsky\u2019s social media accounts have since been deleted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since 11 April, Bozhovsky has been under house arrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why do we consider Vasily Bozhovsky a political prisoner?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The article of the Criminal Code on dissemination of information known to be false about the use of the Russian armed forces, under which Vasily Bozhovsky is being prosecuted, was adopted into law immediately after the launch of Russia\u2019s full-scale war against Ukraine. In practice, the law bans the dissemination of any information about the war that differs from the official narrative, thereby violating citizens\u2019 right to freedom of expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article contradicts both the Russian Constitution and Russia\u2019s international obligations. It also violates fundamental principles of law, particularly the principle of legal certainty. A citizen cannot know in advance what information might be considered false; still less is it possible to establish in law an intention to spread such information. We consider all charges brought under this article unlawful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At present, we do not have access to the case materials and do not know the specific publications for which Bozhovsky is being prosecuted. Nonetheless, the very fact that he is being prosecuted under the article on \u2018fake news\u2019 about the army speaks to the fact that his posts posed no threat to society and most likely were critical of Russia\u2019s war of aggression against Ukraine. Criticism of the war is beneficial to society and should not be treated as a crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A detailed description of Vasily Bozhovsky\u2019s case and of our position is available on our <a href=\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/figurant\/bozhovskij-vasilij-vasilevich\/\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Recognition of an individual as a political prisoner does not imply the \u2018Political Prisoners. Memorial\u2019 human rights project agrees with, or approves, their views, statements, or actions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How can you help?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You <a href=\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/donate\/\">can donate<\/a> to help all political prisoners in Russia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-43628","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","regions-moscow","news-type-nashi-novosti-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Vasily Bozhovsky is a political prisoner - Political prisoners support. 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