Russian ex-journalist Safronov gets 22 years in prison for treason

A Russian tribunal connected Monday sentenced ex-journalist Ivan Safronov to 22 years successful a penal colony aft uncovering him blameworthy of treason, successful a landmark lawsuit for the Kremlin's crackdown connected property freedom.

Safronov, a erstwhile defence newsman for the Kommersant and Vedomosti newspapers turned advisor to the caput of Russia's abstraction agency, was arrested successful 2020 and accused of disclosing classified information.

Safronov's lawyers told the RIA Novosti quality bureau they volition entreaty the verdict.

His supporters accidental the lawsuit is retribution for his reporting which exposed details of Russia's planetary arms deals.

"Everybody who is adjacent to Safronov believes the complaint of treason is absurd," writer Katerina Gordeeva said aft interviewing his mother, sister and erstwhile colleagues for a documentary astir the case.

Ahead of the sentencing, the European Union called connected Russia to driblet each charges against Safronov, 32, and merchandise him unconditionally.