A Russian journalist, Valeria Kichigina, has been sentenced to ten years in prison in absentia by a Moscow court. The charges stemmed from a post she published concerning the 2008 August War between Russia and Georgia. The court, presided over by Judge Svetlana Spitsyna, delivered the verdict on March 24th, marking the first time this charge was applied outside of cases related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Prosecutors built their case on two social media posts shared by Kichigina. One featured information countering Russian claims regarding the deaths in Bucha, Ukraine, following the invasion. The second post, published on the anniversary of the 2008 war, asserted that 20% of Georgia remained under Russian occupation, detailing Russian troop actions and civilian bombings.
Both posts have since been removed. Kichigina’s lawyer argued that the prosecution failed to demonstrate she intentionally spread false information and requested her acquittal, challenging the assertion of political hostility. The journalist maintains the case is politically motivated, suggesting investigators used her Georgia-related reporting as a pretext for her coverage of the ‘Baymak case,’ mass protests in Bashkortostan.
A key witness, identified only as Zakiev, claimed to have seen the Instagram story posted on August 9, 2023, despite Kichigina’s location in Russia at the time. The ‘fake news’ law, enacted in March 2022, criminalizes independent war reporting and protests. Human Rights Watch criticized the legislation for its broad scope.
The court’s decision reflects ongoing tensions between Russia and Georgia, particularly concerning the status of territories bordering Georgia. Furthermore, the European Court of Human Rights has previously ruled that Russia is responsible for damages incurred during the 2008 conflict, ordering Russia to pay Georgia €253 million. This journalist’s case highlights concerns about freedom of expression and reporting within russia.
Topics: #journalist #russia #russian
