Former Yekaterinburg Mayor and war critic Evgeny Roizman put under 'ban on certain activities'

A Yekaterinburg court placed former mayor and outspoken opposition politician Evgeny Roizman under a “ban on certain activities" at his arraignment hearing on Thursday, according to local media. The politician was arrested earlier this week on felony charges of discrediting the Russian army.

According to journalist Dmitry Kolezev, Roizman's lawyer later told the press that Roizman is prohibited from visiting public events and using the Internet, but that he can leave his apartment and speak to anybody who's not serving as a witness in the case.

Roizman refused to plead guilty to the charges against him.

An outspoken critic of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Roizman was fined three times between March and April for criticizing the armed forces. Though first-time offenses are treated as a misdemeanor in Russia, repeat violations can trigger criminal charges and a maximum penalty of five years in prison.