A court in Moscow has dropped a case against an independent municipal lawmaker over his post on Facebook related to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The Zyuzino district court ruled on September 1 that Konstantin Yankauskas’s post did not contain criminal elements.
He had been charged with discrediting the Russian armed forces involved in the invasion.
The post was a translation of Pope Francis's statement calling for prayers for peace in Ukraine, in which he also asked God to save residents of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol that was heavily bombed and ruined by Russian armed forces during the invasion that started in late February.
"There can be no persuasive reasons to barbarically kill children, innocent and defenseless civilians," the translation of the pope's prayer by Yankauskas said.
Yankauskas did not add any thoughts or ideas of his own to the translation of the pope’s statement.
The court ruled to close the case, saying Yankauskas did not violate any law.