Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen convicted of disseminating "fake" information

Source: © CPJ CPJ The Basmanny district court in Moscow has convicted Russian-American journalist and writer Masha Gessen of disseminating "fake" information about the Russian military

Gessen, who uses the pronouns they/them, was convicted in absentia.

According to media reports they have sentenced them to eight years in jail and Gessen was banned from managing websites for four years.

This is despite calls from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to Russian authorities to halt their prosecution of exiled journalist Masha Gessen and immediately drop all charges against them.

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Extreme measures against independent journalists

“The nearly year-long prosecution of exiled journalist Masha Gessen, culminating in their conviction and sentencing, is emblematic of Russian authorities’ extreme measures against independent journalists,” said CPJ program director Carlos Martinez de la Serna, in New York.

“Authorities must immediately drop all charges against them and cease Russia’s transnational repression of critical voices.”

CPJ shares that, according to documents that Gessen shared with it, the case against them was opened in late August 2023 and stemmed from their September 2022 interview with Russian journalist Yury Dud.

“Russian authorities accused Gessen of telling “false” information about the Russian army and its involvement in the Bucha massacre, the documents said,” cites the CPJ.

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Attempt to intimidate

The CPJ says that in December 2023, Russian authorities issued an arrest warrant for Gessen, who is based in the US, before ordering their arrest in absentia.

The journalist told Russian exiled broadcaster Dozhd TV (TV Rain) that their arrest and international search could complicate their movement around the world.

In a 1 July letter addressed to the Basmanny district court, Gessen considers the case against them as an “attempt to intimidate [them] and prevent [them] from doing their professional activity”.

The CPJ says that the Russian authorities have not responded to previous requests for comment.