A software developer in Moscow received a 15-year sentence of hard labor on Tuesday for contributing approximately $500 to a Ukrainian defense fund, East2West reported.
Sergei Irin, 45, who previously worked for Russian tech giant Yandex, reportedly refused to stand in court during his sentencing and displayed a sign that read, “Putin is a ‘s—head.'”
According to footage provided to Digital, Irin was arrested on suspicion of treason and subsequently given a 15-year maximum-security prison sentence for his “act of defiance,” the report stated.
It remains unclear whether the sign he held in court influenced his prison placement or the length of his sentence, or if these consequences were solely due to his donation to a defense fund.
The video shows a man, whose face is blurred and who is allegedly Irin, being tackled and handcuffed by masked police officers.
Irin was reportedly visiting his mother after having previously fled Russia.
He was then questioned in a van by the officers, where he admitted that within days of the Russian President launching his illegal and deadly invasion of Ukraine, he had donated to Ukraine’s Come Back Alive charity, which supports Kyiv’s defense forces.
Irin stated the donation occurred on Feb. 27, 2022.
The 45-year-old also expressed “negative” sentiments towards the Putin regime and acknowledged participating in opposition rallies.
The East2West report indicated he was later “interrogated with a stun gun” before being flown to Moscow and sent to the notorious Lefortovo pretrial detention center.
On Tuesday, the Russian court also imposed a fine of approximately $62,000 on Irin.
The specific maximum-security prison where he will serve his sentence remains undisclosed.