In penal colony

Mikhail Zharikov

Birth date

November 16, 1984

Citizenship

Russia

Family

Officially registered marriage; Have children

Case

Mikhail Zharikov's case for the "fakes" about the Russian Armed Forces, justification of terrorism and rehabilitation of Nazism

Article

Part 2, Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code; Part 2, Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code; Paragraph(s) E Part 2, Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code

Verdict

6 years' imprisonment in a general regime penal colony, prohibition to administer Internet resources for 4 years

Former hockey match referee and press officer for the Nizhny Novgorod hockey club "Torpedo" and the Youth Hockey League. Due to reposting of an announcement of 4th June action in support of Alexei Navalny, he was forced to record a video apology and was then arrested for eight days under the article on organising an unauthorised event (Part 2, Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences). On 6th July, the Investigative Committee initiated a case against Zharikov under the article on "fake news" about the Russian army due to a June broadcast on Instagram. He was taken into custody. On 1st August, a new case was opened against Zharikov under the article on the rehabilitation of Nazism due to a post on VKontakte. It was later revealed that a case had also been opened for public justification of terrorism due to a post on Instagram. On 20th October 2023, Zharikov was sentenced to six years in a general regime penal colony. On 13th May 2024, a courtof appeal reduced his sentence by two months.