Russian court sentences Uzbek diaspora leader to 4 years for social media post

Previously, it was reported that a criminal case was initiated against Usman Baratov in Moscow for inciting hatred. The controversy stemmed from a post he shared, which included a humorous illustration about egg prices, featuring a chicken shouting, "You get nothing with butter, no eggs! Bring the roosters back from the front!"

The Stupino City Court of the Moscow Region conducted the trial in a closed session and found Usman Baratov guilty under Article 282, Part 2, of the Russian Criminal Code (incitement of hatred and enmity). He was sentenced to four years in a general-regime penal colony.

In court, Usman Baratov disagreed with the verdict, claiming that the linguistic analysis was flawed and that the entire process was illegal. He believes the case should be reviewed by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg.