On the Yuri Dmitriev’s sentence

22.07.2020
Yuri Dmitriev. Petrozavodsk, 22 July 2020. Photo by Daria Krotova

International Memorial Statement

The lengthy court case against Yuri Dmitriev was ended today, 22 July 2020, with a guilty verdict on some of the charges and a sentence of 3 years and 6 months imprisonment.

Despite the obvious leniency of the sentence compared with 15 years’ detention requested by the prosecutors, the verdict is legally unsound.

The total lack of grounds for the charges against Dmitriev was clear from the start. And such a lenient sentence on such serious charges can mean only one thing: the prosecution has no proof that Dmitriev is really guilty of forced sexual activity with his underage adopted daughter.

Despite this, these allegations have already cost Yuri Dmitriev more than three years of his freedom, and they have had a devastating impact on his daughter’s welfare.

Moscow 22 July 2020