Putin's critic sentenced 8 years in jail for spreading ‘fake news' on Ukraine invasion
1 min read . Updated: 01 Feb 2023, 02:47 PM IST
PremiumSoon after the invasion of Ukraine started, prominent journalist Alexander Nevzorov departed Russia with his wife.
On February 1, a Moscow court found prominent Russian journalist Alexander Nevzorov guilty of disseminating "false news" about the Russian army and sentenced him in absentia to eight years in prison, according to state media.
Soon after the invasion started, Nevzorov departed Russia with his wife. His website has been blacklisted by Roskomnadzor, the Russian censor. Nevzorov was labelled a "foreign agent" by Russia's Justice Ministry in April 2022.
Nevzorov has frequently blamed Putin's administration for instigating the conflict. In addition, Putin has been ruthless toward Russian society, accusing it of aiding the invaders. Nevzorov has been charged with disinformation under the new Russian law against "fake news" concerning the military, along with other Russians who question the state's exclusive control over information about the conflict.
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Investigators started an investigation against Nevzorov in 2022 because of social media statements in which he claimed that Russia's military had purposefully shelled a maternity hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which Moscow claimed was untrue. In March, Nevzorov's wife posted on Instagram that she and her husband were travelling in Israel.
Nevzorov’s YouTube channel has nearly two million subscribers. A probe started after he reported that, in the city of Mariupol, a maternity facility had been deliberately attacked by Russian soldiers. Russia rejected the bombing and accused Ukraine of staging it.
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As punishment for allegedly distributing "false news" on the invasion of Ukraine, the prosecution had previously sought to sentence Nevzorov to nine years in a penitentiary colony.
In addition, the prosecution sought the court to prohibit Nevzorov from creating any internet content for four years following the completion of his prison term.
In June 2022, Nevzorov and his wife Lydia were awarded Ukrainian citizenship. In a post on the Telegram messenger, Nevzorov acknowledged that he had been granted Ukrainian citizenship and claimed that Russia's war against Ukraine was illegal and caused Ukraine to suffer.
(With agency inputs)
