A court in the city of Mytishchi near Moscow sentenced environmental activist Aleksandr Bakhtin to six years in prison on August 11 on a charge of distributing fake news about the Russian armed forces. The charges stemmed from three posts about Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine in which Bakhtin wrote about Russian soldiers’ alleged atrocities in the Ukrainian city of Bucha, near Kyiv, and other places. Bakhtin also directly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of plans to blockade Kyiv. He was arrested in early March after police searched his apartment. The Memorial human rights center has recognized Bakhtin as a political prisoner. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
Russian Activist Gets Six Years In Prison On Charge Of Distributing Fake News About Armed Forces
Russian activist Aleksandr Bakhtin (file photo)