The Court of Appeal in Kraków ruled on Monday that Andrei G. and Alexei T. will each serve five-and-a-half years in jail for distributing recruitment stickers in Poland linked to the Russian mercenary organisation.
The court also upheld an order requiring both men to pay PLN 30,000 (EUR 7,130) each into a state fund supporting crime victims and former prisoners.
The pair were convicted last year after prosecutors argued that the stickers served a dual purpose: encouraging enlistment in the Wagner Group and spreading propaganda as part of Russia’s so-called "hybrid warfare".
They were also found guilty of acting on behalf of Russian intelligence services.
Both the prosecution and the defence had appealed the original ruling.
Prosecutors sought longer sentences of eight years, saying a harsher punishment would deter similar activity.
Defence lawyers argued there was no evidence the men knowingly took part in espionage or disinformation efforts and called for their acquittal.
The appeal court rejected both arguments, leaving the original sentence unchanged.
The men were arrested in August 2023 after placing hundreds of stickers in public places in Kraków and Warsaw.
While they admitted distributing the material, they denied involvement in spying or recruitment.
Monday’s ruling is legally binding.
(ał)
Source: PAP