Russian journalist sentenced to 8.5 years for fake news

Exiled Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar has been sentenced in absentia to eight and a half years in prison by a Moscow court for spreading “fake news” about the Russian military. This is the latest in a series of legal actions against independent and opposition media in Russia. Zygar was convicted of “public dissemination of deliberately false information about the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation,” according to a court statement.

The sentence comes under tough media laws enacted after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. These laws make it a punishable offense to discredit the Russian military or spread “fake news” about military operations Zygar, who lives in New York and writes for the German news organization Der Spiegel, responded to the verdict by expressing concern for the nearly 3,000 people who are currently being prosecuted on political charges in Russia.

Zygar, a founding editor-in-chief of the now-exiled Dozhd (TV Rain) channel, is also the author of several notable books, including “All the Men in the Kremlin,” which explores the inner workings of Russian President Vladimir Putin's administration. and “War and Punishment,” a study of the historical pretexts for Russia's war against Ukraine.

In October 2022, Zygar was designated a “foreign agent” by the Russian Ministry of Justice and was placed on an international wanted list in April 2024. His sentence will begin upon his extradition or detention in Russia, although the Russian government has yet to succeed. extradite any high-profile dissidents or critics since the invasion of Ukraine.

This verdict follows another conviction in absentia of a prominent Russian-American journalist, Masha Gessen, who was sentenced to eight years in prison for criticizing the Russian military. In addition, Russian journalist and blogger Oleg Kashin, currently based in the UK, was placed on the wanted list last week, with law enforcement agencies suggesting this may be linked to a alleged violation of foreign agent regulations.