Russia sentences journalist Masha Gessen to 8 years in absentia on ‘fake’ news charges

On July 15, the Basmanny district court in Moscow convicted Russian-American journalist and writer Masha Gessen, who uses the pronouns they/them, in absentia on charges of disseminating “fake” information about the Russian military and sentenced them to eight years in jail, according to media reports. The court also banned Gessen from managing websites for four years.

“The nearly year-long prosecution of exiled journalist Masha Gessen, culminating in their conviction and sentencing, is emblematic of Russian authorities’ extreme measures against independent journalists,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna, in New York. “Authorities must immediately drop all charges against them and cease Russia’s transnational repression of critical voices.”

According to documents that Gessen shared with CPJ via email, the case against them was opened in late August 2023 and stems from their September 2022 interview with Russian journalist Yury Dud. Russian authorities accused Gessen of telling “false” information about the Russian army and its involvement in the Bucha massacre, the documents said. 

In December 2023, Russian authorities issued an arrest warrant for Gessen, who is based in the U.S., before ordering their arrest in absentia. The journalist told Russian exiled broadcaster Dozhd TV (TV Rain) that their arrest and international search could complicate their movement around the world. Gessen considers the case against them as an “attempt to intimidate [them] and prevent [them] from doing their professional activity”, they said in a July 1 letter addressed to the Basmanny district court.

Russian authorities have not responded to CPJ’s previous requests for comment.