A Moscow military court has sentenced former Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych to 11 years in prison in absentia on charges of spreading false information and inciting terrorism.
Key facts
- •The court sentenced Arestovych to 11 years in prison and a four-year ban on managing websites.
- •Charges included spreading false information about a 2022 missile strike in Kramatorsk.
- •Prosecutors alleged Arestovych called for the sabotage of Russian military supply lines in a March 2022 video.
- •Arestovych resigned from his role in the Ukrainian president's office in January 2023.
- •Russia added Arestovych to its list of 'terrorists and extremists' in May 2023.
The Second Western District Military Court in Moscow sentenced former Ukrainian presidential aide Oleksiy Arestovych to 11 years in prison on Friday. The verdict was delivered in absentia following a closed-door trial where Arestovych was found guilty of spreading false information about the Russian military and publicly calling for terrorism.
Charges and Court Ruling
Russian investigators accused Arestovych of publishing false statements regarding a deadly Russian missile strike on a railway station in Kramatorsk in April 2022. Additionally, prosecutors cited a March 2022 video in which Arestovych allegedly called for the sabotage of railway lines used to resupply Russian forces. Beyond the prison term, the judge prohibited Arestovych from managing websites for four years. Prosecutors had initially requested a 15-year sentence.
Background and Current Status
Arestovych served as an adviser to the head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office until his resignation in January 2023. He currently resides outside of Ukraine and has become a critic of the Ukrainian government. Russia designated him as a 'terrorist and extremist' in May 2023 and placed him on a wanted list in October 2023, with a Moscow court ordering his pre-trial detention in absentia in February 2024.
Timeline
- March 2022Arestovych allegedly called for the sabotage of Russian railway lines in a video.
- April 2022Arestovych allegedly published false statements regarding a missile strike in Kramatorsk.
- January 2023Arestovych resigned from his position as an adviser to the head of the Ukrainian president's office.
- May 2023Russia added Arestovych to its list of terrorists and extremists.
- October 2023Russia placed Arestovych on its wanted list.
- February 2024Moscow's Basmanny District Court placed Arestovych in pre-trial detention in absentia.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by The Moscow Times.
