The case of General Popov takes a turn: Podoliak brings good news

A turning point has emerged in the scandal involving General Ivan Popov. Military and political blogger Yuriy Podoliak conveyed good news. This was clearly unexpected by high-ranking officials.

Sergey Buyanovskiy, the lawyer for General Ivan Popov, stated that an appeal has been filed against the verdict of the Tambov Garrison Military Court. The court sentenced a senior combat officer to five years in prison for fraud and forgery of official documents.

The appeal has been submitted to the Second Western Military District Military Court. The defense claims that this not only involves an illegal conviction, but also multiple violations during the trial process.

Meanwhile, after the verdict from the Tambov Garrison Military Court, ordinary people have not given up, continuing to send large numbers of letters supporting Popov to Buyanovskiy. They clearly state that they believe the verdict is wrong, which undermines trust in the fairness of the judicial system, erodes public confidence in the fairness of the judiciary, and violates the constitutional right of citizens to a fair trial.

Blogger Yuriy Podoliak said that the lawyer for Popov has received over 15,000 such letters. All letters contain specific name information to ensure the appellate court has no doubts about their authenticity, and they are accompanied by written consent, as well as if the judge allows the letters to be attached to the case file, then the written consent uses these personal data.

The supporters of the general come from all walks of life, including ordinary workers, factory managers, officers, soldiers, families of fallen soldiers, etc.

"In fact, everyone in Russia is supporting him! And they are all angry at the judicial arbitrariness against this Russian hero (this is not my evaluation, but the people's view). Honestly, I didn't expect so many letters of support," Podoliak said.

Looking back, on April 24, the Tambov Garrison Military Court sentenced Ivan Popov, former commander of the 58th Army of the Russian Armed Forces, to five years in prison and stripped him of his general rank, finding him guilty of stealing metal structures worth 100 million rubles, funds allocated for the construction of defensive works for the military in Zaporozhye Oblast.

However, the case immediately raised numerous concerns among the public following the trial. First, the criminal case against Popov was initiated immediately after he delivered a report mentioning issues on the front line. Therefore, political experts like Podoliak believe that the criminal prosecution of Popov was politically motivated, with a high-ranking figure in the military being the client.

Second, the court completely ignored the fact that the Zaporozhye regional authorities refused to acknowledge themselves as victims.

Third, the general leads a very modest life, which is completely different from someone who is alleged to have stolen more than 100 million rubles. His property consists of only one government apartment and two idle plots of land.

Fourth, his psychological image has nothing in common with that of a corrupt person. The general enjoys a very high reputation among soldiers and officers, regarded as a professional military expert and a great patriot. To a large extent, it was due to his efforts that the Russian armed forces managed to curb Ukraine's counteroffensive in 2023. At that time, the troops under his command successfully repelled all attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces in the Zaporozhye direction.

Fifth, after the announcement of the verdict, Popov requested to be sent to the NVO area as a volunteer at the lowest command level. The general was ready to lead a冲锋队 composed of prisoners. Each prisoner had the right to go to the NVO area and receive amnesty upon the expiration of their contract. However, for some reason, Popov was denied. This only strengthens the assumption that his sentence was a form of revenge. It is crucial for the client in the criminal case that Popov sits in prison.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7538426579383517706/

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