Former Russian journalist Safronov sentenced to 22 years in prison for treason

(Reuters) – A Russian court on Monday sentenced a former journalist to 22 years in prison for treason after prosecutors said he disclosed state secrets, a ruling his supporters said was a harsh punishment that shows a lack of media freedom in Russia.

Ivan Safronov, a former defense correspondent for Kommersant and Vedomosti newspapers turned adviser to the head of the Russian Space Agency, was arrested in 2020 and accused of disclosing classified information.

Safronov’s lawyers said they would appeal the ruling. His supporters say the case is in retaliation for his reports that revealed details of international arms deals to Russia.

Speaking outside the courtroom, Safronov’s lawyer, Dmitriy Kachev, said he almost lost sight of the verdict.

“Safronov was given 22 years for his journalistic activity. I want all of you, who are looking at me now, to think about whether it is worth staying in this profession. If someone is given 22 years to do his work,” he told reporters. .

Human rights lawyer Pavel Chekhov said the sentence was “a cruel and brutal punishment that corresponds to the current situation of Russia”.

He said he could not find any examples of any cases of infidelity that led to such a lengthy sentence, let alone a journalist.

Prosecutors said Safronov briefed the Czech Republic’s foreign intelligence arm on state secrets about Russian arms sales in the Middle East. He denied the charges and last month rejected a plea deal that would have served a 12-year prison sentence.

open source?

His arrest in July 2020 sparked protests from Russian journalists, including state-run outlets. The European Union had called on Russia to drop all charges against Safronov and release him unconditionally.

After his arrest, the Kremlin called Zhafronov a “talented journalist”, but repeatedly denied his involvement in the case.

Safronov, 32, denied the accusations and said the information he allegedly passed on to the Czech Republic was all open source public information.

During the trial, his legal team published links to 19 published articles and government statements that prosecutors claim constituted “state secrets” that Safronov allegedly passed to Czech foreign intelligence.

“Evan has never sent any classified information anywhere – with money or for free,” his lawyers said in a statement. “He was an ordinary journalist who honestly did his job.”

His defense team believes the trial is retaliation for Safronov’s revelation of Russia’s plans to sell fighter jets to Egypt. The $2 billion deal was canceled soon after when the United States threatened sanctions against Cairo if it went ahead.

Ahead of Monday’s court session, several independent Russian media called for Safronov’s release. In a statement, media including Medusa, Novaya Gazeta and TV.

The harsh punishment – more than Russian courts usually hand out in murder cases – is seen as a blow against Russian reporting amid mounting pressure on press freedom from the Kremlin since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.

Separately, a Moscow court on Monday revoked the publishing license of the leading independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which has ceased publication days after Russia sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine and imposed tough new media restrictions. Read more

Reporting by Reuters. Editing by Kevin Levy and Jay Faulconbridge

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