Dmitry Bogatov was arrested and Charged with "preparing to organize mass disorder” and making “public calls for terrorist activity”.
Unfortunately, the mathematician is being wrongly accused of terrorist activities as authorities falsely identified his IP address as the origin of the communications. The IP address in question was linked to user, Ayrat Bashirov whom authorities claim was inciting protests.
One post called for protesters to attend an unsanctioned, anonymously organized demonstration on April 2 with “rags, bottles, gas, turpentine, styrofoam, and acetone.” Another post linked to the music video for Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” described by investigators as “a video recording with insubordination to the legal demands of the police, and mass disorder.”
As it turns out, the server linked to the IP address is located in Bogatov's home, however it is a node used by the TOR network to help provide anonymity to internet users worldwide. Additionally, at the time of the communications Mr. Bogatov was captured by security cameras at a local supermarket where he was shopping with his wife. It seems highly unlikely that he was a participant in the online exchange.
Although the initial charges were dismissed by a judge Russian investigators seem to be intent on making the charges stick, by adding 'terrorism' related charges.
But rather than acknowledge their mistake, the Investigative Committee (the main federal investigative committee in the Russian Federation), appears to be doubling down. When a judge initially ruled that the charges against Bogatov were not serious enough to justify his continued detention, the Investigative Committee added the second, more serious charge of inciting terrorism. Days later, the court upheld the additional charges, formally arrested Bogatov, and ordered that he be held until his trial date on June 8.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation and Access Now have joined forces to condemn the charges against Mr. Bogatov and are lobbying for his immediate release from custody.
My God...He looks about 12!!! Upvoted and Resteemed!
Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
shared.
:( Dangerous news for folks running Tor exit nodes. Upvoted + resteemed!