Sergey Abramov

From the court verdict: Between 1 September 2023 and 14:00 on 19 March 2024, S.M. Abramov — Head of the Human Resources Management Department at the Ural State Mining University in Yekaterinburg — is said to have formed the criminal intent to publicly disseminate, under the guise of credible information, knowingly false claims concerning the actions of the Russian Armed Forces. These claims allegedly misrepresented the Armed Forces’ role in protecting the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens, and in maintaining international peace and security. Acting on this intent, on 19 March 2024, between 14:00 and 15:30, Abramov, while delivering a lecture on the subject of History in room 2233a of the university (located at Universitetsky Lane 7, Yekaterinburg), is alleged to have knowingly and deliberately made statements of a public and unlawful nature. The court held that Abramov was fully aware of the social danger of his actions and foresaw the inevitable consequences, including the undermining and discrediting of the Russian state and its Armed Forces. His statements, it was claimed, created a misleading impression of the legality of Russia’s actions during the special military operation, calling into question the operation’s legitimacy. The court noted that Abramov’s comments were at odds with the official position of the Russian Ministry of Defence, as presented in briefings on 24 and 26 February 2022. Furthermore, it was stated that Abramov was fully aware — from official state media and sources, including the President’s address to the nation on 24 February 2022 — that the aims of the special military operation in Ukraine were the demilitarisation and denazification of the country, and the defence of the Russian Federation. Through his actions, Abramov is said to have misled at least ten individuals regarding the legality of the Armed Forces’ conduct during the operation, creating the false impression that both the military and the Russian government were acting unlawfully and in violation of international law. This, the court stated, contributed to undermining the authority and reputation of the Russian Armed Forces. According to unverified reports, Abramov also claimed that the Donetsk and Luhansk regions were under Russian occupation.