Russian Invasion|Russian Reactions

Russian war critics should be punished without being convicted

According to a new Russian bill, anyone who has committed, or is merely suspected of, crimes "motivated by hate" will be put on the federal eco-crime agency Rosfinmonitoring's list of "terrorists and extremists." It writes independent Moscow Times.

Into this category fall anyone suspected of discrediting the army or spreading false information about it – laws established after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and effectively covering all criticism of Russia's warfare.

Anyone on the register is prohibited from making financial transactions of more than the equivalent of SEK 1,200 a month, may not own bank cards, sell real estate, inherit, or pay out pensions and contributions. It also becomes very difficult to get a job because of the stigma.

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Masha Gessen sentenced to prison by a Russian court

The American journalist Masha Gessen has been sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison by a Russian court, the New York Times reports.

Russian-born Gessen was accused of spreading false information about the Russian military after Gessen spoke in an interview about the Russian massacre in Butja in Ukraine.

According to Gessen, it took only minutes for the court to issue a verdict.

- They want to scare me and prevent me from doing my job, says Gessen in a comment.

The New York Times writes that the accusation of "spreading false information" is common when the Kremlin wants to suppress opinions that deviate from the official image.