Kremlin Critic Alexei Gorinov Sentenced Again for Anti-War Stance
On Friday, Alexei Gorinov, a vocal opponent of Russia’s war in Ukraine, was handed a three-year prison sentence after being convicted for a second time. The trial, which lasted three days, highlighted the ongoing intolerance of dissent in Russia.
Gorinov, aged 63, is a former member of the Moscow municipal council and is already serving a seven-year prison sentence for publicly criticizing the war. Following the latest conviction, a court in Russia’s Vladimir region has now ordered him to serve a total of five years in a maximum-security facility. His lawyer noted that this new sentence adds an extra year to his time behind bars.
Gorinov was initially convicted in July 2022 after a Moscow court charged him with "spreading false information" about the Russian military during a municipal council meeting. He had expressed doubts about a children’s art competition while drawing attention to the fact that "every day children are dying" in Ukraine.
This recent ruling makes Gorinov one of the first individuals imprisoned under a 2022 law that strictly forbids any public statements questioning the government’s narrative on the war.
From prison, Gorinov shared his thoughts in March 2023, stating that the authorities needed to create an example of an ordinary citizen rather than focusing on public figures. Supporters of Gorinov reported that a second case was initiated against him last year, claiming he was "justifying terrorism" in conversations with fellow inmates. He has denied these allegations, maintaining that he simply stated that the annexed Crimean Peninsula is Ukrainian territory.
His trial, held in the Vladimir region where he is currently incarcerated, showed Gorinov in court, covering his prison badge with a drawn peace symbol and holding a sign reading, "Stop killing. Let’s stop the war." In his closing statement, Gorinov expressed his deep regret about the war, acknowledging his perceived guilt as a citizen but calling for shared accountability among those who support the conflict.
The broader context reveals that roughly 1,100 people have faced criminal charges for their anti-war views since the invasion began in February 2022, according to OVD-Info, a rights group that monitors political arrests. Of these, nearly 350 individuals are currently imprisoned or have been involuntarily committed to psychiatric institutions.
