For "high treason"

Ukraine donation lands Russian in jail for 20 years

The teacher has to serve 15 years of his sentence in a penal colony (archive photo).

(Bild: Wikimedia Commons/Avtoloer/CC BY-SA 4.0)

A Russian court has sentenced a drawing teacher to 20 years in prison for allegedly sending money to Ukraine. Daniil Kliuka (27), who was convicted of high treason, is to serve five years of his sentence in prison and the remaining 15 in a "colony with a strict regime".

According to the court, Kliuka was charged with "high treason" and "supporting terrorist activities". According to the Russian media company RBK, he is accused of twice sending cryptocurrency worth 100,000 and 20,000 roubles (around 1,000 and 200 euros respectively) to a Ukrainian fund that collects money for the Ukrainian army.

Pleaded guilty
The 27-year-old is also said to have planned to transfer money to the Azov Brigade, which is considered a "terrorist organization" in Russia. According to RBK, he pleaded guilty during the trial. The young teacher had already been arrested in February 2023 in the Lipetsk region 350 kilometers south of Moscow, as several Russian media reported.

Authorities take merciless action against critics
Since the start of the extensive invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago, Russia has been cracking down on any criticism of the "special military operation" and supporters of Ukraine. Prison sentences of more than ten years are often imposed - sometimes even more than 20 years.