A criminal case in the framework of which Oleg Bessedin was charged with non-violent acts committed against the Republic of Estonia and the violation of an international sanction was sent to court under regular rules of procedure by the Office of the Prosecutor General.
Based on the charges, at least since May 2022, Oleg Bessedin actively participated in influence activities conducted for the benefit and in the interests of the Russian Federation and was in contact with different Russian institutions, officials and nationals who took part in Russia’s influence activity in the course of this. Based on the charges, Bessedin engaged in non-violent activity directed against the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Estonia by participating in the influence activity.
In addition, the Prosecutor’s Office charges Bessedin with transmitting sanctioned Russian TV programs and content via TV and social media channels controlled by him in Estonia and making the sanctioned content available to other channels as well.
According to Chief State Prosecutor Taavi Pern, Oleg Bessedin has been consistently cooperating with Russian state institutions and their representatives to participate in conducting influence activities based on the charges. “Russia is actively conducting information influence activities, during which they distribute both vast amounts of propaganda as well as misinformation. The purpose is to divide the population of other countries and sway them to support Russia’s political choices. Based on the Prosecutor’s Office’s estimate, Oleg Bessedin participated in these kinds of influence activities. After the evidence collected in the framework of the criminal case has been reviewed, the court can administer justice over Oleg Bessedin’s activity,” said Pern.
The purpose of international sanctions imposed on Russia is to hinder the distribution of Russian propaganda and misinformation as well as suppress Russia’s capability to launch aggression. Russia also uses propaganda and misinformation to spread narratives that justify attacks on its neighbouring countries. Based on the charges, Bessedin has been boosting these narratives so that the players of Russia’s political decision-making processes would get the impression that this is what the Russian-speaking population of Estonia thinks.
A legal person whose representative agreed to remedy the harm caused by the criminal offence was connected to the charges of Bessedin’s sanctions violations. The Prosecutor’s Office terminated the proceedings initiated with regard to the company in the criminal case by opportunity and required the representative to pay 4,000 euros to an Estonian charity organisation that supports Ukraine. Based on the charges, Oleg Bessedin, whose culpability will be dealt with at Harju District Court, benefited from the company’s activities.
The pre-trial proceedings were conducted by the Estonian Internal Security Service.