Moscow's First Appellate Court on [date] rejected an appeal by Svetlana Loy, a 70-year-old resident of Russian-occupied Tokmak in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, upholding her 15-year prison sentence for high treason, according to Mediazona.
The hearing was held behind closed doors, with journalists and spectators allowed in only for the reading of the ruling. Before the judge began, Loy sang 'Song about the Towel' ('Ridna maty moya') to lyrics by Ukrainian poet Andriy Malyshko, featured in the 1958 Soviet film 'Years of Youth.'
Loy was convicted on February 10 by the Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia Regional Court, which found her guilty of high treason and sentenced her to 15 years in a general-regime colony.
According to the prosecution, between January and November 2024, Loy made 24 transfers totaling the equivalent of 63,420 rubles (about $700) to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine, using a Ukrainian bank's app. The Russian court provided no further details about the payments.
The case file shows the first-instance court heard the case in a single session. One earlier hearing was postponed because Loy could not be brought to court for unknown reasons.
In a press release, the court claimed the pensioner 'held anti-Russian views.' Loy received Russian citizenship in December 2023 while retaining her Ukrainian passport. The court separately noted she continued to receive a Ukrainian pension and also applied for a Russian one.