10:47, 20 July 2022

Social network users outraged by Cheldiev's sentence

Vadim Cheldiev in a courtroom, July 19, 2022. Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CgNNoA0j2u-AoTD6Bf-bO0PujM01JFaDjBJTL40/

Ten years in prison, appointed by the court to Vadim Cheldiev, an opera singer from North Ossetia, has outraged social network users. This sentence is unusually severe; it aims at intimidating other people who want to express their protest, users have emphasized.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 19, the court sentenced Vadim Cheldiev to 10 years in prison, finding him guilty of calls for extremism.

On April 20, 2020, law enforcers dispersed a protest action held by opponents of the self-isolation regime in Freedom Square in Vladikavkaz. The protestors demanded the resignation of the government, parliament, and the leader of North Ossetia. According to the investigators’ version, thirteen employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the National Guard of Russia were injured during the spontaneous rally. Vadim Cheldiev, whom the investigators consider an initiator of the rally, was charged under four articles of the Russian Criminal Code at once.

When discussing the messages posted in the Instagram* social network on July 19 about Vadim Cheldiev's verdict, residents of North Ossetia could not hide their indignation at the severity of the punishment.

"Why are people imprisoned for expressing their opinion? We are in a free country, aren't we? If not, then let them say about it already!" the user irina_dngs is outraged. "Paedophiles [are no longer placed in jail] for 10 years," the user mimi_tanja_ is indignant. The user hubaevanatalia writes: "They give even less for a murder!"

"How can we believe in justice in this country after this?" the user tsagolovasvetlana has asked.

*On March 21, 2022, the Tverskoi Court of Moscow banned the activities of the "Meta" Company (that owns the Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) in Russia because of extremist activities.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 20, 2022 at 06:42 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: The Caucasian Knot