"The Federal Security Service (FSB) accused the man of 'transmitting information to the enemy regarding the information resources of a local print publication specializing in covering the progress of the special military operation,' which is the government euphemism for the Ukraine war."
"For more than a decade, Russian authorities have ramped up repression of independent media, as well as civil society organizations, human rights activists, and other nongovernmental groups."
"In 2023, President Vladimir Putin signed legislation increasing the maximum sentence for people convicted of treason from 20 years in prison, to life."
A former freelancer for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty was detained by Russia's Federal Security Service, accused of treason for allegedly sharing information with Ukrainian intelligence. The man, born in 1960, was apprehended in Chita. He reportedly transmitted details about a local print publication covering the Ukraine war. Two other individuals were also detained around the same time. Russian authorities have intensified repression of independent media and civil society, using a 'foreign agent' law to impose strict reporting requirements. Treason charges carry severe penalties, with maximum sentences recently increased to life imprisonment.
Read at RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
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