After condemning Latvia’s support for Kyiv, activist moves to Russia and is sent to fight in Ukraine, relatives say
Source: Ostorozhno, Novosti
Sergey Mulivanov, a 59-year-old activist with the Latvian Russian Union who moved to Russia two years ago, was charged with fraud and sent to fight in the war against Ukraine, his lawyer, relatives, and acquaintances told the news outlet Ostorozhno, Novosti.
Mulivanov left Latvia because he disagreed with its policies. He supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and criticized the Latvian authorities for supporting Kyiv, forging closer ties with the West, and restricting the use of Russian. He ran a blog and contributed to Russian propaganda outlets, including an article for the Tsargrad television channel’s website.
After arriving in Russia, Mulivanov obtained citizenship, settled in the Moscow region, and found work as a courier. His relatives say scammers hired him, and he unwittingly became a money mule, transporting stolen money. Mulivanov was detained in April and charged with fraud. He denied any wrongdoing.
Mulivanov’s loved ones say he was tricked into signing a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry while in pretrial detention. In late October, word came that Mulivanov was about to be sent to the front. He and his lawyer submitted a written statement withdrawing from the contract, but he was eventually taken to Rostov-on-Don against his will. No one has been able to contact him for six days.
People close to Mulivanov say he has type 2 diabetes and polyneuropathy, and that his health deteriorated in pretrial detention. Meanwhile, requests for a medical examination submitted by his defense back in the summer have gone unanswered. His lawyer said Mulivanov had not undergone a military medical evaluation before signing the contract, either.
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