A Russian military court sentenced writer Boris Akunin, known for his active anti-war stance, to 14 years in prison in absentia, BNR reported.
Grigory Chkhartishvili, whose literary pseudonym is Boris Akunin, was found guilty on charges of terrorist activity, justification of terrorism and violation of the duties of a "foreign agent", as he was declared two years ago. In addition, the Russian authorities included him in the list of terrorists and extremists.
The basis for the accusation of terrorism was a telephone conversation between Akunin and Vovan and Lexus, who are known for their malicious jokes and close to the government. Then the writer called on Russian soldiers to surrender to the Ukrainians and go over to their side. He also wrote on the social platform "Telegram" that he was for revolution, because "there is no other way to overthrow the dictatorship". Akunin said that he was not participating in the trial because he did not recognize the Russian court.
Boris Akunin left Russia in 2014. in protest against the annexation of Crimea. He is one of the most widely read contemporary Russian writers. He is the author of numerous works of fiction and history, including the 10-volume "History of the Russian State". He is also a professional translator from English and Japanese. After publicly condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, his books disappeared from bookstores and libraries in Russia.