St. Petersburg's Primorsky District Court began hearing the criminal case against Ilya Remeslo on October 27. He is accused of knowingly disseminating false information about Russia's armed forces, Mediazona reported from the courtroom.
Remeslo faces a charge under Article 207.3, Part 2(d), of Russia's Criminal Code. The prosecution stems from a post published in March titled "Five Reasons Why I Stopped Supporting Vladimir Putin." Remeslo's original post predates the present hearing by several months; the new development is the start of the trial on the merits.
In that post, Remeslo criticized Vladimir Putin and the war. The term "false information about the military" reflects the legal classification applied by Russian investigators to his publication. Remeslo disputes that classification. According to Mediazona, some parts of the proceedings will be held behind closed doors at the defense's request.
Remeslo pleaded not guilty at the hearing. As Kommersant reported, citing its courtroom correspondent, the blogger said his statements did not break the law and that he had the right to criticize government bodies. The next hearing was scheduled for November 17 after the prosecution requested witness testimony, according to 78.ru. No verdict has been issued.