The Barnaul garrison military court sentenced former FSO officer Mikhail Zhilin to 6.5 years in a strict regime colony for trying to leave the country during mobilization. According to investigators, Zhilin was going to leave Russia and go to Kazakhstan. He was found guilty under the articles “desertion in conditions of mobilization” (part 3 of article 338 of the Criminal Code) and “illegal crossing of the state border” (part 1 of article 322 of the Criminal Code).
Zhilin worked in the FSO for 19 years. The investigation claims that, fearing being sent to war, he informed the command about his "incapacity for work." On September 27, the military crossed the border, bypassing the checkpoint, specified in the Barnaul garrison court. Zhilin wanted to do it legally, but he was afraid that the border guards would not let him through.
As a result, the man was detained by them. In Kazakhstan, Zhilin was refused to be granted refugee status and a criminal case was brought against him for illegally crossing the border. After that, he was deported to Russia.
