'The occupiers are panicking': Tasheva explains increase in number of absurd sentences in Crimea

This is stated in the op-ed of the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the ARC Tamila Tasheva for Ukrainska Pravda, Ukrinform reports.

"Only in March and half of April, the occupation courts received 42 proceedings under Article 20.3.3 [discrediting the Russian Armed Forces]. Illegal 'rulings' have already been issued in 35 of them and the amount of fines for our citizens has been determined. In just one year of this illegal article's existence, at least 352 Crimeans have been prosecuted. However, such an intensification of absolutely absurd sentences shows the panic felt by the occupiers and collaborators. In this way, they are trying to intimidate the residents of the occupied peninsula and 'suppress' their pro-Ukrainian movements," the column says.

Tasheva described some of these sentences.

For example, a student in Crimea recently received two fines of 50 and 60 thousand rubles for supporting the President of Ukraine on Tik-Tok and making a video wearing an embroidered shirt with a blue and yellow manicure. She was then harassed by a pro-Russian Taliban blogger.

Another girl, the Permanent Representative of the President noted, posted a video on Instagram where she sang the Ukrainian anthem. This was also classified by the occupation courts as "discrediting the Russian Armed Forces".

In addition, Tasheva added, the woman posted a photo of Putin on her social media with the caption "I hope you die," for which she not only received an illegal fine but also lost her position as a nurse.

A young man was fined under Article 20.3.3 for posting a Ukrainian flag on his Instagram.

"For the occupiers, even ordinary Ukrainian symbols are already discrediting their military, because, according to their "motivational" letters attached to the rulings and sentences of the occupation courts, the Armed Forces of Ukraine use the national flag on their combat uniforms," the President's Permanent Representative in the ARC said.

As reported, Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko said that in order to reintegrate Crimea, it is necessary to break Russian myths about the Ukrainian peninsula and return people to the Ukrainian context both domestically and internationally.