In absentia verdict updates in Vyrypaev case and related actions
The Moscow Basmanny Court has issued a sentence in absentia, ordering director Ivan Vyrypaev to serve seven and a half years in a penal colony for disseminating false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The ruling was reported by TASS with reference to law enforcement sources. The court found Vyrypaev guilty under paragraph e of Part 2 of Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code, which covers the dissemination of knowingly false information about the use of the Russian armed forces based on political hatred. The verdict assigns the term to be served in a corrective facility. [Source: law enforcement agencies]
Vyrypaev is described as a former director of the Praktika theater and as the creator of the films Oxygen and Euphoria. He also authored a collection of short stories titled Dance of Delhi and founded the Polish production company WEDA. In May 2022, Vyrypaev announced that he had renounced Russian citizenship and obtained a Polish passport, and it is noted that he no longer resides in Russia. [Source: law enforcement agencies]
Earlier, on December 15 of the previous year, the Moscow Basmanny Court conducted a trial in absentia that resulted in Vyrypaev being sentenced to eight years in a general regime colony. The court additionally prohibited him from managing Internet resources for a period of four years. [Source: law enforcement agencies]
In July 2024, an objection led to the cancellation of the director’s in absentia decision, with the court clarifying that the ruling pertained to irregularities in the proceedings at the district court. The same period also saw a separate in absentia conviction of journalist Kolezev, who was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison. [Source: law enforcement agencies]