Fri Nov 08 19:17:13 UTC 2024: ## Paediatrician Faces Six-Year Prison Sentence for Alleged Anti-War Remarks
**Moscow, Russia** – A paediatrician in Moscow is facing a six-year prison sentence for allegedly criticising the war in Ukraine during a private appointment with a patient and his mother. Dr. Nadezhda Buyanova, 68, was arrested in February and is charged with spreading “fake” information about the Russian military, a charge that has been used to silence dissent since the start of the invasion.
Buyanova, who was born in Lviv, Ukraine, denies the accusations. She claims that the patient’s mother, Anastasia Akinshina, fabricated the conversation and that the seven-year-old boy, who claims Buyanova called his father a “legal target” for Ukraine, was pressured into making the statement.
Akinshina, the ex-wife of a soldier missing after fighting in Ukraine, reported Buyanova to the police after the alleged conversation. She accused the doctor of blaming Russia for the war and telling her son that his father was a legitimate target for Kyiv’s troops.
Buyanova’s arrest is one of hundreds brought against Russians since the invasion, with many critics of the war facing similar charges. Supporters of the paediatrician, including fellow medical professionals, gathered outside the court to express their support and argue the case against her is absurd.
The trial continues, with Buyanova’s fate hanging in the balance. The case highlights the growing crackdown on dissent in Russia and the harsh consequences for those who speak out against the war.
First Piper 