A Moscow court on August 23 sentenced in absentia Maksim Kats, a self-exiled opposition activist, to eight years in prison on a charge of distributing "fake news" about Russia's armed forces. The charge stems from a video Kats published on YouTube in April last year about alleged atrocities committed by occupying Russian armed forces against civilians in the town of Bucha near Kyiv. Hundreds of local residents were found dead after the town was liberated by Ukrainian troops. Kats has admitted he published the footage but denied any wrongdoing. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
