A Moscow court on April 2 sentenced Pyotr Verzilov, the former publisher of the independent media website Mediazona, to eight years and four months in prison in absentia in a retrial on a charge of distributing fake news about Russian troops involved in the invasion of Ukraine. Last month, the Moscow City Court canceled Verzilov's conviction and sentence, citing procedural violations and sent the case back for retrial. In October last year, Verzilov, who holds both Russian and Canadian citizenship, announced that he had joined Ukraine's armed forces and later left Mediazona. Verzilov is also wanted in Russia on treason charges he rejects. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
Ex-Mediazona Publisher Sentenced In Absentia In Moscow
Former Mediazona publisher Pyotr Verzilov (file photo)