A court in Russia’s Altai Republic has sentenced journalist Sergei Mikhailov to eight years in prison for allegedly spreading “false information” about the Russian army’s invasion of Ukraine. According to local reports, Mikhailov was initially detained in the spring of 2022 in Lyubertsy, near Moscow. The court’s ruling also imposes a four-year ban on his journalistic and publishing activities, as well as the administration of internet resources.
The journalist has consistently denied the charges. “I strongly disagree with this accusation. And all these years I have been writing what I consider to be the truth, albeit bitter, but out of love for people, and not at all because of hatred for certain political figures,” he said in a statement reported by Russian media.
In his courtroom speech, Mikhailov criticized the ongoing conflict, characterizing it as an aggressive act motivated by misinformation and propaganda. He likened the relationship between Russia and Ukraine to an abusive one, where one party refuses to accept the other’s independence. “We are being convinced that this is not a war, but a special military operation … but people should be encouraged to defeat lies! In the fight against lies, art has always won, always wins,” he declared in a final address.
In his closing remarks, Mikhailov labeled Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” and urged Russians to reject falsehoods to avoid becoming complicit in acts of murder and victimization. Additional details regarding this case can be found on JURIST.