MOSCOW, September 15 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul) – The City Court of Naberezhnye Chelny has sentenced Rafis Kashapov, chair of the Tatar Public Center, to three years in prison for encouraging separatism and inciting racial hatred and enmity, his attorney told RAPSI on Tuesday.

The prosecution asked the court to sentence Kashapov to four years in prison under Part 1 of Article 282 and Part 2 of Article 280.1 of the Criminal Code.

Attorney Raushania Kamalova said that from July to December 2014 Kashapov published six items about Crimea and Ukraine on his VKontakte site, which law enforcement authorities interpreted as an incitement to separatism and extremism. 

Kashapov has denied any guilt and said that he posted the items because he is worried about Ukraine.