The first case of a criminal sentence for a high schooler on charges of state treason

The Supreme Court of the Republic of Adygea has sentenced 18-year-old Kevin Lik from Maykop to 4 years in prison for the accusation of state treason. This is the first case in Russia where a schoolboy has been convicted of such a charge, as reported by the Russian service of BBC.

According to the investigation, the convicted individual observed the locations of Russian military personnel in Maykop, took photos of a local military unit, and allegedly sent the photos to the email of a "representative of a foreign state." It is claimed that Lik began his unlawful activities before the invasion of Ukraine, with the investigation considering the period from December 23, 2021, to February 8, 2023. His mother, Victoria Lik, was arrested for 10 days on February 9 for "obscene language" in the military enlistment office. A friend of Lik confirmed to journalists that he has been in custody before the verdict came into effect. However, his case was not known until the announcement of the verdict. The specifics of what Kevin Lik photographed are not clarified, and the addresses and photos of military units in Maykop can be found online. During the period when, according to the investigation, he committed the crime, Lik was still a minor. The age of the convicted individual became one of the mitigating circumstances.