A prosecutor asked a court in the city of Korolyov near Moscow on March 1 to convict and sentence journalist Roman Ivanov to eight years in prison on a charge of distributing false information about Russia's military. The charge stems from Romanov's online coverage of the Kremlin's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Romanov pleaded not guilty, saying he was carrying out his journalistic work. In February 2023, a court in Siberia sentenced another RusNews journalist, Maria Ponomarenko, to six years in prison on the same charge, which she also rejected, saying journalism was not a crime. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
Russian Prosecutor Seeks 8 Years For Journalist Over Ukraine War Coverage
Another RusNews journalist, Maria Ponomarenko, was sentenced to six years in prison on the same charge last year.