Russia cracks down on critics of its ‘military operation’ in Ukraine
- Russia puts investigative journalist on ‘wanted’ list and extends detention of another in latest crackdown
- People face jail terms of up to 15 years for intentionally spreading false information about Russia’s military
Russian authorities kept up their crackdown against citizens who speak out about the fighting in Ukraine, extending a critic’s detention, confirming charges against two others and prompting Moscow’s chief rabbi to flee the country.
Russia adopted a law criminalising spreading allegedly false information about its military shortly after its troops rolled into Ukraine in late February.
The offence is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Human rights advocates have counted dozens of cases. Russians must use the term “military operation” when speaking of the fighting in Ukraine.
In the latest development, a Moscow court on Wednesday extended the detention of Vladimir Kara-Murza Jnr, a journalist and former associate of assassinated Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.
The court extended Kara-Murza’s detention from June 12 to August 12 on accusations that he spread “false information” about the country’s armed forces. The activist rejects the charges.
Kara-Murza in 2015 and 2017 survived poisonings that he blamed on the authorities. Russian officials have denied responsibility.