A 68-year-old Russian pediatrician has been sentenced to five years in prison on charges related to the dissemination of so-called fake news about the Russian military after a patient's mother accused her of making anti-war comments.
After the judge at the Tushino district court in Moscow on November 12 sentenced Nadezhda Buyanova, who has denied making the alleged comments, dozens of people in the courtroom shouted "Shame!" and expressed solidarity with the doctor.
The case highlights the growing trend of Russians turning in other Russians for making anti-war statements as the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine nears its 33rd month.
According to OVD-Info, at least 1,057 people have faced criminal prosecution for making comments deemed to be against the war while at least 20,061 have been detained for anti-war protests.
The case against Buyanova was initiated after a complaint from Anastasia Akinshina, a Moscow mother who brought her 7-year-old son in for a checkup.
During the appointment, Buyanova allegedly noticed that the child was acting nervous.
SEE ALSO: The Big Chill: Critics Say Kremlin Waging A War On IdeasWhen Akinshina explained that her son was struggling with the trauma of losing his father, a Russian soldier killed in the war in Ukraine, Buyanova is said to have referred to the deceased father as a "legitimate military target" in front of the child.
The remark, according to Akinshina, prompted her to file a complaint with law enforcement.
Buyanova has denied making any such statement and insisted that she did not discuss the military or the boy's father with Akinshina during the visit. The pediatrician maintains that she is the victim of a false accusation.
Buyanova was dismissed from her job following the complaint and has since been fighting for reinstatement. A court ruled in her favor in July, demanding that she be reinstated to her position at the medical clinic.
The case has drawn attention from human rights groups and the media, particularly due to the growing number of legal actions under Russia's "fake news" law, which has been increasingly used to silence critics of the government and its military actions related to the war in Ukraine.
Critics argue that the law is part of a broader pattern of repression designed to stifle dissent and control public discourse regarding Russia's actions in Ukraine.