A Russian court has handed down a 13-year prison sentence to a man on charges of “treason,” following reports that he contributed 50 euros ($54) to Ukraine’s military.
On Friday, the Moscow City Court announced that Alexander Kraychik was found guilty of “high treason” for providing “financial aid to a foreign nation (to support) actions against the security of the Russian Federation.”
Since the onset of its large-scale military campaign in February 2022, Russia has initiated numerous cases of “treason” against individuals accused of aiding Ukraine.
The accusations range from acts of arson or sabotage against Russian military facilities to supplying information about Russian army installations or sending money to entities supporting Kyiv.
State media and human rights organisations reported that Kraychik transferred 50 euros on February 26, 2022, just two days after Russia began its offensive, to a German-based fund-raising money for Ukraine’s military.
He was detained in 2023 while trying to board a flight to Turkey after FSB officers had confiscated his phone during a search at his workplace days earlier, according to the Memorial rights group.
The 13-year sentence was issued on November 1 but was only made public by the court on Friday. The court stated that Kraychik, who Memorial reported is 34 years old, was “driven by political and ideological animosity.”
