INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A Russian court on Thursday sentenced Dmitry Talantov, a popular attorney who as soon as defended imprisoned reporter Ivan Safronov, to
seven years in prison for criticizing Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine on social media.Talantov was jailed in July 2022 after he
compared Russian military actions in the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Bucha to Nazi practices
He was charged under a censorship law presented soon after the invasion, accused of spreading fake details about the Russian army and
prompting hatred.Talantov, the former head of the Udmurtia Bar Association, formerly represented Safronov, a journalist focusing on military
affairs whose 22-year treason sentence in 2021 surprised Russias media community.During his psychological court declaration, Talantov
revealed doubts about surviving his prison sentence but stood by his criticism of the war
I am 64, and it is difficult for me to picture coming out of prison alive, he said in a recording released by the rights group Perviy
Otdel.Talantov described severe conditions in detention, including spending 2 years in singular confinement in what he called a Medieval
cell with just a toilet hole and a tap
He stated isolation was compounded by the Russian national anthem blaring at dawn and sunset, followed by pro-Kremlin radio broadcasts
I am waiting for words of peace
They do not come, he stated
Resolving his spouse, he included: Olga, forgive me
Talantov was detained at his dacha in 2022
His arrest stimulated outrage amongst Russias legal community, with more than 300 attorneys signing a petition requiring his release.
