A Moscow court has sentenced Russian journalist Darya Shipacheva to 12 years in a penal colony after finding her guilty of treason.
The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, followed a closed-door trial in which authorities disclosed no official details about the allegations. However, Interfax, quoting other media reports, said the case was linked to an alleged transfer of money to Ukraine.
Shipacheva admitted to the charge and was handed the minimum sentence prescribed for the offence.
A video published by independent news outlet Mediazona showed the journalist appearing visibly stunned as the court announced its verdict.
Mediazona reported that Shipacheva built her career covering science and medical issues and had worked for several leading Russian media organisations.
Since the start of its military campaign in Ukraine in 2022, Russia has introduced stricter censorship measures and intensified its crackdown on independent journalism.
Before the court’s decision, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said 29 journalists were being held in Russian prisons over work-related cases.
Source: Reuters/NAN