Russian appeals court increased sentence against 68-year-old Halina Bechter, a resident of the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The woman was sentenced to 12 years and 6 months imprisonment in a case of alleged high treason. He informs about this Mediazona
According to Russian law enforcement agencies, the pensioner was supposed to make a donation to the charity in 2023. Armed Forces of Ukraine through a Ukrainian bank. In the first instance, she was sentenced to 11 years in a penal colony, but the prosecutor’s office filed an appeal, demanding an increased sentence of 16 years.
The court partially granted this request, increasing the sentence to 12.5 years. An aggravating circumstance was the fact that the alleged act was committed during the period of mobilization announced in Russia.
The woman’s defense attorneys are warning that her health has deteriorated significantly while in custody. According to the attorneys, Halina Bechter is progressing dementia, which caused her to stop writing, refuse to eat, and is unable to function independently. Doctors also reportedly diagnosed her cachexia, i.e. extreme destruction of the body.
The case has sparked interest from human rights organizations. Critics of the Russian justice system point out that the verdict was issued despite the defendant’s serious health condition and advanced age.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities have regularly initiated criminal proceedings against individuals accused of supporting Ukraine financially or publicly expressing opposition to the war. Such actions carry penalties of long prison sentences.
Source: mediazona
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