(MENAFN) On Wednesday, a Russian court handed down a seven-year prison sentence to a journalist, Roman Ivanov, aged 51, for criticizing the Ukraine offensive in posts on social media.
Ivanov was convicted of disseminating "false information" about Russia's armed forces and was punished under Moscow's strict military censorship laws.
The Russian government has employed laws targeting the "discrediting" of the armed forces or the dissemination of "false information" to quash public criticism of its extensive military campaign in Ukraine.
As he exited the courtroom following the verdict, Ivanov shouted, "Peace and freedom."
Reporters from a French news agency who were present in the courtroom observed Ivanov's applauding supporters shouting, "We're with you. You are not alone."
In 2022, Ivanov posted criticisms of Russia's military offensive in Ukraine and its activities in the Ukrainian city of Bucha on the social media platforms Telegram and VKontakte. Following his arrest last year, Ivanov pleaded not guilty during court proceedings.
During a previous hearing, Ivanov made a final statement declaring, "Journalism no longer exists in Russia."
“We must ask ourselves why we are sowing suffering and unhappiness all around us, why our country has turned into an avalanche of suffering and unhappiness,” he further mentioned.
Ivanov was previously employed by a local state-run TV channel but was dismissed in 2021 following his reporting on purported corruption, electoral fraud, and environmental issues in Korolyov, a town situated northeast of Moscow.
On Wednesday, Ivanov's wife, Maria Nekrasova, stated that he had demonstrated that his posts "contained no false information" and emphasized that he harbored "no motive for political hatred."
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