Russian liberal sentenced for comparing Stalin to Hitler
August 30, 2022, 4:51 pm

Russian liberal sentenced for comparing Stalin to Hitler

Leonid Gozman, a liberal politician walks escorted by a police officer in Moscow, Russia, on July 25, 2022. (AP)

A Moscow court on Tuesday (August 30) handed a 15-day prison sentence to a liberal politician, Leonid Gozman, who drew parallels between Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's regime and Nazi Germany,

Stalin was the secretary-general of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1922–53) and premier of the Soviet state (1941–53), who for a quarter of a century dictatorially ruled the Soviet Union and transformed it into a major world power.

Stalin’s name meant "man of steel" and he lived up to it. He oversaw the war machine that helped defeat Nazism. His regime of terror caused the death and suffering of tens of millions.

Leonid Gozman, 72, was sentenced for his 2020 Facebook post, in which he mocked the Russian legislation that banned likening the Soviet Union to Nazi Germany, saying that “it's wrong to put an equal mark between them — Hitler was an absolute evil and Stalin even worse,” the AP reported, the ABC news said.

Stalin’s name meant "man of steel" and he lived up to it. He oversaw the war machine that helped defeat Nazism - Photo. Pixabay

On Tuesday, Moscow's Tverskoy District Court ruled that Gozman's remark violated the law.

Gozman, a vocal critic of the Kremlin’s campaign in Ukraine, left Russia when it started but returned in June in what he has described as a “moral” choice.

Germany's Scholz marks second anniversary of Navalny poisoning

The Russian Justice Ministry has listed him as a “foreign agent,” a description that carries a strong pejorative meaning and implies additional government scrutiny.

He was briefly detained by police in July after the Russian Interior Ministry issued a warrant for his arrest while investigating a criminal case against him.

Russia calls for new jail term for opposition leader Alexei Navalny

Gozman was accused of breaching the law that requires Russian citizens to notify authorities about a foreign citizenship or a residency permit. Gozman said he notified the authorities about his Israeli citizenship but they claimed that he failed to do so within the required time.

The investigation in that case is still ongoing and Gozman could be sentenced to a fine or community work if found guilty.

levantnews-abcnews

Syrians Forgotten to Geopolitics Drought declared across South West England after prolonged dry conditions

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”