Verdict for Serhiy Bortnikov
The Lutsk city district court handed down a verdict to writer Serhiy Bortnikov, sentencing him to 6 years of imprisonment for justifying the aggression of the Russian Federation. The case was submitted to the court on July 16, 2024, and the proceedings lasted 1 year and 8 months. The verdict has not yet come into legal force, and it is planned to be appealed.
Serhiy Bortnikov, who is 68 years old, was found guilty under parts 1 and 3 of Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The pre-trial investigation was conducted by investigators from the Security Service of Ukraine in the Volyn region. Bortnikov was detained in May 2024, and during a search, books from the Vechi publishing house were seized. The writer participated in the establishment of the Volyn branch of the Union of Writers of Russia and maintained connections with a citizen of the Russian Federation.
Personal life and views
Serhiy Bortnikov was born in 1957 in Lutsk, graduated from the historical faculty of the Lutsk pedagogical institute, and worked at the Volyn regional museum of local lore. In 2005, he registered the Volyn Regional Organization Russian Cultural Center in Lutsk, which was renamed the Center for Intercultural Communications in 2017. In 2014, Bortnikov condemned the Euromaidan, and in 2018, he gave interviews to the Russian publications 'Novy Vtornik' and 'Military-Industrial Complex.'
During the consideration of the case, Serhiy Bortnikov was at liberty under personal obligation and rejected all allegations. His lawyer, Oleksandr Lavrenchuk, noted:
“We have not yet seen the full text of the delivered verdict. But we will appeal. Serhiy Bortnikov is determined to fight until the end.”
The appeal of the verdict is possible within 30 days in the Volyn Court of Appeal. The term of punishment will be counted from the moment the verdict is enforced.
In correspondence from August 2022 to January 2024, Bortnikov claimed that Ukraine bombed Donbas for 8 years and that it was the one that started the conflict with Russia. He referred to Ukrainians and Russians as brotherly peoples, and Ukraine as an ancient Russian land, justifying the actions of the Russian army, idealizing its soldiers, and denying the temporary occupation of Ukrainian territories.
Among Bortnikov's notable books:
- Intelligence Laws
- The Secret of the Nesvizh Castle
- Hunting a Killer
The verdict for Serhiy Bortnikov is part of a broader trend in Ukraine regarding holding accountable individuals who support or justify the aggression of Russia. The situation surrounding Bortnikov's case highlights the importance of the legal struggle against propaganda that may threaten national security. Since the verdict has not yet come into legal force, further developments in the case may have significant consequences for both the writer and society as a whole, especially in the context of legal norms regarding freedom of speech and propaganda. It is important to follow the appeal process, which may introduce new nuances to this case.