A Russian court has sentenced a journalist to 12 years in a strict-regime penal colony on charges of treason, the latest in a sweeping crackdown on independent media and dissent that has intensified since the war in Ukraine began. The verdict was handed down by a Moscow court in a closed-door session, with the defendant’s identity restricted under Russian secrecy laws.
The journalist, whose name has not been officially released by Russian authorities but is known to colleagues as a reporter who covered the military and security services, was accused of passing classified information to a foreign intelligence service. The FSB claimed the journalist gathered sensitive data about Russian military operations and transmitted it to Ukrainian intelligence.
Defense lawyers argued that the charges were based on routine journalistic work, including the collection of publicly available information about Russian troop movements and equipment losses in Ukraine. They maintained that their client’s reporting was consistent with standard journalistic practice and did not involve any classified materials.
The 12-year sentence is among the harshest imposed on a journalist since the introduction of sweeping wartime censorship laws in 2022. Since then, Russia has designated independent news organizations as foreign agents, banned critical outlets, and imposed prison terms of up to 15 years for disseminating what authorities deem false information about the military.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, at least 25 journalists are currently incarcerated in Russia on charges related to their work, making it one of the most dangerous countries in the world for media professionals. The organization ranks Russia among the top five jailers of journalists globally.
The case follows a pattern of prosecutions targeting journalists who have reported on Russian military casualties, equipment losses, or corruption in the defense sector. In recent months, several regional reporters have been arrested for stories about draft evasion, economic hardship, and protests against mobilization.
International press freedom groups condemned the verdict. Reporters Without Borders called it a blatant act of judicial repression designed to terrorize the remaining independent journalists in Russia into silence. The organization noted that the trial was conducted entirely behind closed doors without access for observers or family members.
The State Department also criticized the sentence, with a spokesperson saying it demonstrated Moscow’s fear of transparency and its determination to suppress any reporting that contradicts the official narrative of the war. The US called for the journalist’s immediate release.
The verdict comes as Russia has also escalated pressure on digital platforms, with the recent addition of Telegram founder Pavel Durov to the terrorist list, signaling a broader campaign to eliminate all independent information channels that operate beyond Kremlin control.
Sources: NBC News, AP News, The Guardian
Author: Russia Desk
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