A Russian military court sentenced a prisoner to an additional six years of imprisonment and a fine of 49,000 rubles (approximately $600) on the charges of public calls to terrorism and the spread of “war fakes,” according to local media. The charges against the prisoner, a man named Andrey Voronin, are based on his conversations with his cellmates that were recorded with hidden cameras.

On the recordings, Voronin was seen discussing Russian illegal aggression against Ukraine with cellmates. During the conversation, he stated, “To stop the war, [we] need to shoot Putin.” His cellmates and detention center staff acted as witnesses during the proceeding. During the hearing, Voronin shared that his relatives were killed at the beginning of the war. He pleaded guilty.

Sentencing for discussions and expressions of opinions in incarceration settings has increased recently in Russia. Last year, lawmaker Aleksei Gorinov, who has been imprisoned since 2022 after speaking out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was sentenced to an additional three years for discussing the war in a prison hospital. The defense argued that Gorinov commented on events taking place during the war, including the attack on the Crimean bridge, as a response to provocations, and that he was not aware of the hidden cameras.

Earlier this year, charges were created against 21-year-old Artem Begoyan based on his conversations with cellmates. He allegedly voiced his opinions about the attack on the Crimean bridge, which were captured by hidden recording devices. Begoyan was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment in 2024 on the charges of treason and committing an act of terrorism. Allegedly, he was part of the group that created a fire on a railway. Reportedly, Begoyan shared that he was forced to reject the defense of a “Solidarity Zone” lawyer due to the threats of violence from detention center staff.