Moscow municipal deputy Alexei Gorinov, sentenced to 6 years and 11 months in prison for "fakes" about the Russian army, was awarded the "Magnitsky Prize". A message about this appeared in the Telegram channel "Freedom to Alexei Gorinov."
The channel also published a comment by Gorinov, which he transmitted through representatives, due to the fact that he could not attend the award:
“Neither I, nor the thinking part of the Russians as a whole, could prevent this war, unable to stop it even now. Because the authorities deliberately deprived themselves of feedback mechanisms with civil society. I am not a politician at all, especially in a country where real politics, as one of the spheres of public life, is absent, and political activity itself is banned. But in the history of each country there are turning points when it is impossible to remain silent, when the responsibility for its present and future lies with all the citizens of this country and each of them. At the same time, telling the truth may not always be pleasant and safe.
This political regime, which is going to the court of history, has left for us only one platform for expressing our own opinion – the judicial one. And even then only for their own chosen people. And as long as she remains at my disposal, I will speak. To speak not only for myself, but also for people who support me and share my views. I believe in the best for my Motherland – Russia. Together we will try to bring it closer Thank you for the award! Prisoner Gorinov Alexey Alexandrovich, part 2 of Art. 207.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation”.
On July 8, Gorinov was sentenced to 7 years in a penal colony under the article on military "fakes". In September, a court hearing was held on an appeal, the deputy's sentence was commuted by one month – up to 6 years and 11 months in prison. According to investigators, on March 15, during a meeting of the Council of Deputies, the politician made a number of statements "containing data about the RF Armed Forces that do not correspond to reality." Gorinov called the "special military operation" in Ukraine a "war" and spoke of the deaths of Ukrainian children since the beginning of the invasion.
When Gorinov was given the last word in court, he stated that he wanted to plead guilty to the people of Ukraine and the world community: “As a citizen of my country, I could not do anything, I could not prevent the ongoing madness. I also apologize for the fact that, apparently, I can no longer do anything to stop it.