Former Russian journalist Ivan Safronov was arrested in 2020 and charged with leaking classified information.
Kirill Kudryavtsev | Afp | beautiful pictures
A Russian court on Monday sentenced former journalist Ivan Safronov to 22 years in prison after finding him guilty of treason, in a landmark case to the Kremlin’s crackdown on press freedom.
Safronov, a former defense reporter for the Kommersant and Vedomosti newspapers who became an adviser to the head of Russia’s space agency, was arrested in 2020 and charged with leaking classified information.
Safronov’s lawyers told RIA Novosti news agency they would appeal the ruling.
His supporters say the incident is punitive because his report revealed details of Russia’s international arms deals.
“Everyone close to Safronov believes that the allegation of treason is absurd,” journalist Katerina Gordeeva said after interviewing his mother, sister and former colleagues for a documentary about the case.
Before sentencing, the European Union called on Russia to drop all charges against Safronov, 32, and release him unconditionally.
