A policeman in Moscow could spend up to ten years in prison for “publicly” discrediting Russia’s army in phone calls he made to friends and family.

A Moscow police officer faces up to ten years in prison for “publicly” disparaging Russia’s army during private phone calls with acquaintances.

Sergei Klokov is facing charges under Russian law that make it illegal to “publicly disseminate false information about the use of Russia’s armed forces.”

His lawyer and family say that he should not have been charged because he voiced his personal views in private talks rather than publicly speaking.

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in late February, the law was enacted. Critics claim it is intended to silence critics of what Moscow says should be referred to as a “special operation” rather than a war.

The call on March 9 was the first of three he made to pals that day, and it was one of the first documented incidents under a new Russian rule that forbids distributing information about the war that contradicts the Kremlin version.

The 37-year-old father of two was detained and locked up in the building where he worked and where his wife, who is presently on maternity leave, also works as a security guard, about a week after those phone calls. If convicted, he may face up to ten years in prison.

Mr. Klokov’s dilemma exemplifies how, since the start of the war, ordinary Russians have faced greater dangers of defying the state—even in private chats.

It also gives an insight into the conflicting feelings of many thousands of people whose families were formed during the Soviet Union’s rule of Russia and Ukraine, and who have ancestors from both sides of the battle.

The Wall Street Journal examined Mr. Klokov’s case files, which contain call logs and transcripts of investigators questioning Mr. Klokov and his acquaintances and coworkers. The data, as well as conversations with his family and lawyers, portray a man who proudly identified as a Russian and proudly served the state for nearly two decades until the conflict caused him to doubt his nationality.

Mr. Klokov, who is currently detained in Detention Center No. 4 in Moscow, could not be reached for comment. Daniil Berman, his lawyer, claims he is innocent of the charges because any remarks he made were made in private talks and not broadcast to the public.

According to investigators, Mr. Klokov’s alleged crimes included claiming that Russia was transferring wounded troops to Belarus and hiding the exact death toll among soldiers, that Ukraine was not ruled by Nazis, and that Russian soldiers were killing Ukrainian civilians.

According to a transcript provided by investigators, the morning after Mr. Klokov’s arrest on March 16, he informed investigators that he misspoke regarding the military operation and that he could have been misled by the information he had received. He admitted during a second discussion.

“I made a mistake while in an emotional and anxious state,” he told police, according to the transcript.

Image Credit: THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

You were reading: Moscow cop charged for privately discussing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine