Sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky was released in the courtroom with a fine of 600 thousand rubles.

Sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky, accused of justifying terrorism (declared a foreign agent), was released in the courtroom. The state prosecutor demanded that he be sentenced to five and a half years in prison with a ban on engaging in information activities for a period of two years, but the court limited himself to a fine of 609 thousand rubles. Observers reflect on the reasons for such leniency and note that Boris Kagarlitsky does not belong “to the opposition that supports Ukraine in exile, and is very much at odds with the liberals.” The scientist himself called the verdict “a victory for common sense.”

A criminal case against Boris Kagarlitsky was initiated by a unit of the Russian FSB under Part 2 of Art. 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (public justification of terrorism committed using information and communication networks, including the Internet). As previously reported TASS, Deputy of the Ukhta Council of the Komi Republic Leonid Krasnoperov complained to law enforcement agencies, demanding a legal assessment of the video “Explosive congratulations of the cat Bridge.” This video was published by Mr. Kagarlitsky on social networks in October 2022. The case was investigated in Syktyvkar, so the accused was transferred and was in custody there. The examination found that the recording in question “contains psychological and linguistic signs of recognition of the ideology and practice of committing an explosion that frightens the population and creates a danger to humans.”

The sociologist has been in pre-trial detention since July 2023. In August, Rosfinmonitoring included him in the list of terrorists and extremists along with eleven other citizens who are involved in criminal cases under extremist and terrorist articles. In November, a military court extended Boris Kagarlitsky’s arrest for six months, without supporting the defense’s objections, which asked for a more lenient measure due to the scientist’s diagnosis of hypertension.

The trial in the case of Mr. Kagarlitsky in the Second Western District Military Court in the capital of Komi took place closed to the press, however, Kommersant was able to find out some details of the trial. Thus, lawyer Sergei Erokhov asked his client to tell the court how a cat named Mostik appeared in the title of the video. The defense representative suggested that the examination mistakenly transferred the semantic load to the Crimean Bridge because of this. Boris Kagarlitsky noted that during the construction of the bridge across the Kerch Strait, a cat appeared during construction, which took root with the workers and became a symbol of the project. A reference to him was made in the video – and unsuccessfully, as the accused said.

Boris Kagarlitsky assured that the intention to justify the terrorist attack (October 8, 2022 on the bridge was implemented blowing up a truck with explosives) he did not have. “Everyone understands to the extent of their depravity,” added the sociologist, obviously referring to the thought process of the authors of the examination. During the trial, the defendant admitted that he came up with the text for the video spontaneously, and thus did not have any pre-prepared plan for posting the video on the Internet. The storyline about the undermining of the Crimean Bridge, according to him, occupies only a small part of the recording, and then other topics are presented.

After the transition of Crimea to the Russian Federation, the accused, according to him, twice traveled to the peninsula to communicate with local activists to carry out a sociological mission – to determine the mood of the residents. After these visits, Mr. Kagarlitsky concluded that the population for the most part approves of reunification with the Russian Federation. The sociologist also said that, as part of the development of the presidential grant, he interacted with trade unions that previously operated at Ukrainian enterprises: he collected focus groups and conducted trainings.

The scientist admitted that his colleagues were skeptical about his partnership with the Russian authorities in the framework of receiving government funding.

After the start of the SVO, Boris Kagarlitsky emphasized, he did not allow public assessments of Russian foreign policy on this issue. At the same time, the sociologist assured the court that he has been an opponent of terrorism throughout his life.

Let us note that Mr. Kagarlitsky’s accusation received a public outcry. In July 2023 Kommersant special correspondent Andrei Kolesnikov asked Vladimir Putin: “Is it normal that people are arrested for spoken or written words” – and cited the case of Boris Kagarlitsky as an example. The president replied that there should be “a certain attitude towards those people who cause us harm within the country,” and added that he did not know the sociologist. In October 2023, at a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, Mr. Putin was again asked about the state of the political scientist, noting that Boris Kagarlitsky “has never been against Russia.” The President promised to look into the issue.

Neither during the investigation, nor at the off-site meeting of the panel of the Second Western District Military Court in Syktyvkar, the accused did not admit guilt.

State prosecutor Pavel Sadomsky cited the results of a psychological and linguistic examination of the video, noting, in particular, that the video contains signs of “causing significant property damage in order to discredit the activities of state power and influence the decision by the authorities” of the Russian Federation to stop the military operation in Ukraine. He asked the court to find the sociologist guilty of public calls for terrorism (under Part 2 of Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and sentence him to five and a half years in prison with a ban on engaging in information activities for a period of two years.

On December 12, the court made a decision: the defendant was sentenced to a fine of 609 thousand rubles. and released in the courtroom.

It should be noted that earlier the state prosecutor asked the accused to tell about his financial situation. Mr. Kagarlitsky said that as a professor he receives 35 thousand rubles, as well as a pension in the amount of 17 thousand rubles. A monthly income of 80–100 thousand is generated through fees and literary activities. The scientist added that he had saved up 1 million rubles, so in the event of a feasible fine, he was ready to pay it.

State prosecutor Sadomsky in conversation with TASS noted that it is necessary to study the reasoning part of the verdict before deciding to appeal: “But the punishment imposed is not lower than the lowest, with the sanction of the article a fine of 300 thousand to 1 million rubles is provided.”

“In any case, this is a victory, and above all, a victory of common sense,” Mr. Kagarlitsky commented on the decision to TASS. “The issue of appeal remains separate, purely legally, because after all, I consider myself innocent in any case. This is a separate issue that we will resolve with a lawyer.” Lawyer Sergei Erokhov added that “over the past few years, this is the only sentence that is not associated with an actual term of imprisonment.”

Political scientist Alexei Makarkin told Kommersant that he was surprised by the court’s decision, taking into account the punishment requested by the prosecutor’s office. “This may be due to the fact that the case of Boris Kagarlitsky was constantly in the public space, to the president (about him.— “Kommersant”) contacted twice,” says the political scientist. Mr. Makarkin also draws attention to the fact that Boris Kagarlitsky does not belong “to the opposition, which supports Ukraine in exile, and is very much at odds with the liberals.” Alexey Makarkin also draws attention to the fact that Boris Kagarlitsky remains on the list of terrorists and extremists: “His public activities in Russia will be extremely difficult. And a guilty verdict gives little chance that he will be excluded from this list.”

Andrey Sergeev, Syktyvkar; Alexander Voronov