Russia convicts ex-police officer over Ukraine war criticism

By DASHA LITVINOVA
Associated Press

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A court in Russia has convicted a former police officer of publicly spreading false information about the country’s military for criticizing the war in Ukraine to his friends. The ex-office, Semiel Vedel, was sentenced Monday to seven years in prison under a law the Kremlin has actively used to stifle dissent. He also was barred from working in law enforcement for four years after his release. The case prosecutor said that during three phone conversations, Vedel referred to Russia as a “murderer country,” used “Glory to Ukraine” as a greeting and claimed that Russia was suffering “huge losses.” The Ukraine-born officer argued he was sharing information he got from friends in the Kyiv police department.