Moscow pensioner states that law enforcers distorted her words about Ukraine

Olga Slegina, a pensioner from Moscow, has stated that in Nalchik law enforcers had misinterpreted her words about Ukraine and Zelensky in order to accuse her of discrediting the Russian Army. The police are too freely interpreting the article about discrediting militaries, Alexander Verkhovsky, a human rights defender, believes.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 18, the court fined Olga Slegina, finding her guilty of discrediting the Russian Army because of a conversation in the sanatorium where she was treated.

According to Ms Slegina, she discussed only the external data of the President of Ukraine, and the policeman objected that she "has no right to praise the enemy," the "Memorial" Centre for Defence of Human Rights has reported.

According to the pensioner, the trial was "too fast," and the judge ignored the defendants' petitions. She is sure that she was "attributed an offense" because in the protocols drawn up by law enforcers, her conversation was interpreted in a political context.

"But we had no talks about politics. I didn't speak out for Ukraine and against Russia. I spoke about Zelensky that he is a handsome man with a sense of humour ... Is this a crime? Is it generally forbidden to pronounce Zelensky's name? They pronounce his name on TV, and in general, what the hell they say, but they are not punished," the pensioner has complained.

The pensioner says that it was her mistake to sign the protocols without reading.

Anything can be a trigger for initiating a case under the article on discrediting the Russian Army; and besides, this article is "political," said Alexander Verkhovsky, the head of the human rights "Sova"* Centre.