The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia put the economist Konstantin Sonin, a former teacher of the Higher School of Economics, on the wanted list. As can be seen from the card in the search database, the search was essentially a clause of the Criminal Code. which is not specified.
“Sonin Konstantin Isaakovich, born in 1972, is wanted under article of the Criminal Code,” the ministry’s database says.
Sonin currently teaches at the University of Chicago.
He worked at the Higher School of Economics from 2007 to 2022. He resigned from his position as Vice Rector of the School of Economics in 2014 and was dismissed from his post as a university teacher last summer.
Social media posts
March 25 Moscow Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia woke up criminal action pursuant to paragraph “e” h.2 Art. 207.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Willingly disseminate to the public false information about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation”). While the name of the suspect was not disclosed in the press release made by the branch, it was stated that he was a 51-year-old man who had traveled abroad before. Later it became clear that we are talking about Konstantin Sonin.
According to the investigation, Sonin published fake posts about the RF Armed Forces on Telegram between April and July 2022.
“According to the conclusion of experts, these publications contain linguistic and psychological signs that incite hatred and hostility towards military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the basis of belonging to a social group,” the UK said.
In an interview with Radio Liberty (the organization was included in the list of foreign agents by the Ministry of Justice) (considered as a foreign agent), Sonin said that the case may have been initiated after his posts about events in the city. bucha
“You can find lots of inquiries and I’m pretty sure everything I’ve written is exactly what it is. “Perhaps a few more articles may come about the bombing of the drama theater in Mariupol,” he said.
According to Sonin, his recent trip to Kiev, where he teaches, may have been the trigger to start the case.
Despite the criminal case, the economist continued to actively post information about events in Ukraine on social networks. In an interview with the BBC in March, he said that he last arrived in Russia in the spring of 2022.
The False Law was passed in March 2022. According to the Russian Investigative Committee, as of February 2023, 152 criminal cases were opened in the country for articles on forgery and repeated discrediting of the Russian military.