A Russian-American journalist working for the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been convicted of spreading false information about the Russian army. The journalist, an editor for RFE/RL’s Tatar-Bashkir service, was sentenced to 6½ years in prison after a secret trial in the city of Kazan.
The court found the journalist guilty of violating laws related to spreading false information about the military. The trial was classified as secret, and details of the accusations against her remain undisclosed.
Another American journalist, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, was also recently convicted in Russia. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges, a move that the U.S. government has labeled as politically motivated.
The RFE/RL President and CEO has strongly condemned the trial and conviction of the Russian-American journalist, calling it a mockery of justice. He urged for her immediate release from prison and emphasized the need for her to be reunited with her family.
The journalist, who holds dual U.S. and Russian citizenship, was arrested in October 2023 on charges of failing to register as a foreign agent and spreading false information about the Russian military. These charges were brought under legislation that criminalizes any public expression deviating from the official Kremlin line on the war in Ukraine.
RFE/RL, the organization the journalist worked for, has been at odds with Russian authorities since 2017 when it was instructed to register as a foreign agent. The organization has challenged Moscow’s use of foreign agent laws in the European Court of Human Rights and has faced significant fines in Russia.
The swift and secretive trials of the two American journalists have raised hopes for a potential prisoner swap between Russia and the United States. The escalating tensions between the two countries, particularly over the conflict in Ukraine, have led to an increase in the detention of American citizens in Russia.
The U.S. President has expressed concern over the targeting of American journalists by the Russian government, emphasizing the need to protect journalists and freedom of the press.
