Prosecution demands over seven years in colony for Sochi engineer

The state prosecutor has demanded seven years and seven months of imprisonment for Alexei Schus, a Sochi engineer, accused of spreading fake news about the Russian Army and of manufacturing weapons.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 25, the court granted the motions to interrogate a linguistic expert and to examine the material evidence – a throwing weapon that Schus had made. The defendant has complained about the custody conditions at the detention facility.

In April, Schus became a defendant in a criminal case about fake news about the Russian Army. The case was opened due to reposts in a social network made more than two years ago. This August, investigators also charged him with illegally manufacturing a weapon – a modified slingshot; and Schus, who was under a recognizance not to leave the country, was placed into custody.

Vasily Schus, the 81-year-old Alexei's father, said that his son looked very exhausted in court. According to the father, the prosecutor's words caused psychological trauma to his son and him. "Alexei did not think that they would ask for such a huge term, which, of course, undermined him even more morally," Vasily Schus has stated.

Alexei has stated that he had no motive for hatred towards any social group, no political hatred or hatred in general. According to his story, he didn't pursue the goal of discrediting the Russian Armed Forces and had no intent to spread any knowingly false information; and his only motive for posting on the page was concern for the future of the country and sympathy for the people.

"You can't put someone in jail for this. You can't punish them for dissent ... You can't punish people for objective criticism of the government and its decisions," his advocate has stated.