“It's totally false”: the sister of the Colombian detainee in Russia spoke

On April 11 Alberto Enrique Giraldo Saray, a Colombian national and resident in Moscow, was captured by the Russian authorities for allegedly “spreading false information” about that country's Armed Forces on social media. The measure of the Eurasian Government on the dissemination of information showing a version other than that disseminated by the authorities, was taken a little more than a month ago due to the conflict that sparked finding in its neighboring country, Ukraine.

According to the news agency Tass, the Colombian will become the first foreigner to answer for the “fake news” law. Giraldo will face a fine of 3-4 million rubles (US$37,300 and US$62,300) or pay 10 years in a Russian prison.

For its part, The Wall Steet Journal cited Russian police sources and stated that the accusation focuses on the dissemination of false information in collaboration with 'accomplices who are also being identified'.

For now, the Colombian embassy in Moscow has not said anything about Giraldo's arrest. But her sister Diana Patricia Bonilla Saray spoke to the national media and expressed her concern, also recounting how they learned that Alberto had been arrested.

“Yesterday morning I found out that he was arrested on Sunday at the apartment. My brother doesn't have any kind of anti-government activity, they know he can't make that kind of comment,” said Diana Patricia. She added: “I talked to him on Saturday afternoon, and it seemed strange to me that he hadn't written anything on Monday, but there was nothing of any indication that something like that would happen to him.”

The sister of the Colombian detained in Russia, said that his brother resides in this country because he had two enterprises, one for tourism and another for empanadas that were affected by the pandemic, but that he had never been involved in anything like that and he is surprised that until now more than 48 hours after his detention the consulate has not been has communicated with the family or given an official statement.

“The friend is the only one who has been able to give me information about him and the process that has been taking place. They are very frightened, this is a persecution, what they talked about and saw in the arrest report is totally false, my brother never got involved in political problems,” he emphasized with great concern.

Russia's penal code warns that persons found guilty of spreading lies on social networks about the Russian Armed Forces could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

Reporting data on Russian military casualties not provided by the Russian Ministry of Defense would also be considered a violation.

The penalties for publishing this type of news will be 700,000 rubles ($7,403) to 1.5 million rubles ($14,423). If, in the offence, a person abusing his office or a group of persons by means of “artificial evidence”, “for profit” or “for reasons of political, ideological, racial, national or religious hatred or enmity”, the fine would be 3 million rubles (28,846 dollars) to 5 million rubles (48,077).

In this case, the term of imprisonment could be between 5 and 10 years. Penalties could amount to between 10 and 15 years of imprisonment if these actions entail serious consequences.

Since the start of its offensive in Ukraine on February 24, Russia has banned numerous local and foreign media and social networks Facebook, Instagram and Twitter on its territory. The American group Meta was classified as an “extremist”.

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