As the Kremlin intensifies its crackdown on dissent, a Russian court has sentenced journalist Olga Komleva to 12 years in prison on “extremism” charges stemming from her connections to an opposition group.
Komleva, 46, was found guilty of “extremist” ties to her alleged false information about the Russian army in her reporting on the Ukrainian conflict and her alleged involvement in the late opposition leader Alexey Navalny’s banned political party on Tuesday.
The verdict highlights Moscow’s growing repression, which now targets both former opposition figures and active critics.
Komleva had volunteered for Navalny’s party before it was banned in 2021, according to an independent newspaper called Mediazona. She later covered Russian military assault on Ukraine and anti-government protests for independent newspaper RusNews.
In addition to enacting comprehensive censorship laws, the Kremlin has expanded its decade-long crackdown on independent media as part of its campaign in Ukraine.
A district court in the city of Ufa, in central Russia, found that the defendant had engaged in extremist activity and “spread intentionally false information about the armed forces’ actions,” according to a statement.
The defendant was found guilty, and the defendant was given a 12-year prison sentence, the court continued.
Both charges were untrue, and the journalist denied guilt.
After hearing the verdict, Komleva smiled and waved to a group of people who came to her and said, “I love you all,” according to a video released by RusNews.
Komleva, according to Mediazona, has diabetes and had trouble getting medication while undergoing medical supervision.
Navalny, President Vladimir Putin’s main rival, was declared an “extremist” by Russian authorities in 2021 after he died in an untold cell last year in an Arctic penal colony.
Source: Aljazeera
Leave a Reply