“The defendant expressed her approval of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine in the framework of a pro-Russian demonstration on May 5, 2022,” said the spokeswoman for the Court of the German city of Cologne, Judge Denise Fuchs-Kaninski.
According to the information portal “T-Online”, the defendant is the Russian citizen Elena Kolbasnikova, who together with her husband is considered one of the heads of the pro-Kremlin movement in Germany, linked according to various investigations with figures from the German extreme right. and with the Russian secret services.
The couple organized several events in the region around Cologne last year, including one in which the leader of the Chechen regime, Ramzan Kadyrov, was praised, as well as a massive rally in support of Russia that brought together more than a thousand people. vehicles with Russian and Soviet flags.
Did he call to join the ranks of mercenaries paid by Russia?
It was in the course of that protest that Kolbasnikova made the statements that the Cologne prosecutor’s office considers constituting a crime, stating that “Russia is not an aggressor. Russia is currently helping to end the war in Ukraine.“
Since the invasion of another country is prohibited under international law, the prosecution argues that expressing approval of it in a way that may disturb public order is an offense under section 140 of the German penal code, punishable by fines or penalties. up to three years in prison.
According to the newspaper “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger”, Kolbasnikova faces another possible process for having allegedly made an appeal to enlist in the Russian mercenary company “Wagner”. The trial before the Cologne District Court will begin on March 29.
