After a highly controversial espionage trial before a Moscow court, journalists and human rights activists are shocked. Former journalist Ivan Safronov was sentenced to 22 years in prison for high treason. The defense therefore appealed.
The verdict was handed down on Monday by the Moscow court, the Russian news agency Interfax reported. Prosecutors had demanded 24 years in prison after Safronov turned down an offer to plead guilty in exchange for a lighter 12-year sentence.
Shared confidential information?
The Kremlin had previously announced that the charges against Safronov were serious. According to the investigators, the 32-year-old would have passed on confidential information about arms deals and operations of the Russian armed forces in Africa and the Middle East to foreign intelligence services.
Strong criticism of the EU
Safronov’s lawyer dismissed the charges at the beginning of the trial, saying the journalist had only used publicly available sources. Safronov was arrested more than two years ago and has been incarcerated ever since. The trial was closed to the public. The journalist wrote about military and security issues for the newspapers Kommersant and Vedomosti. Before his arrest, he worked for the Russian space agency Roskosmos.
The EU had previously called for the charges against the journalist to be dropped and for his release. “The regime’s systematic attack on independent journalism deprives citizens of the right to factual information, including the Russian war in Ukraine,” said a spokesman for the EU’s foreign service.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
