Stavropol resident convicted of publishing photo with V symbol

A resident of Stavropol, who had posted a photo from World War II with a V symbol in a social network, received a suspended sentence with two years of the trial period on charges of repeatedly demonstrating Nazi symbols.

The Leninsky District Court of Stavropol found Vladimir Nesonov guilty of repeatedly demonstrating Nazi symbols and sentenced him to two years of suspended imprisonment with a two-year probationary period.

According to the verdict, the man posted a photo from World War II in the "VKontakte" social network, which contained the V symbol and the inscription "Germany is winning on all fronts" in the German language. Nesonov, who was in custody from September 2023 to March 2024, pleaded guilty in court, explaining that he is not a supporter of Nazi ideology, the human rights project "OVD-Info"* project has reported.

The publication of pensioner Nesonov, 68, was a repost from another person's page; while Nesonov had expressed his disapproval of the ideology of Nazism in a comment posted under the publication, the "Sova" Research Centre** has noted.

Nesonov was earlier charged under the administrative article on the demonstration of prohibited symbols in December 2022 – also because of his post in the "VKontakte" social network; then he was arrested for two days.

*Included by the Russian Ministry of Justice (MoJ) into the register of foreign agents.

**On August 17, 2023, the First Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction approved the decision taken earlier in April by the Moscow City Court to liquidate the SOVA Human Rights Centre.