Russian Federation - September 2022
Journalist sentenced to historic prison term
Marking a new extreme in Russia’s crackdown on independent media, a court sentenced Russian journalist Ivan Safronov to 22 years in prison on charges of high treason on 7 September. The charges centered on Safronov’s reporting, but all material discussed in court was also available online on government and government-controlled media websites. The sentence, which is long even by contemporary Russian standards, is part of a larger crackdown on independent media and public protest during the invasion of Ukraine. As of 28 October, OVD-Info recorded 19,335 arrests for protests against the war and ‘partial mobilization’ in Russia.
Sources: CEPA, Proekt, New York Times, OVD-Info
Regional and municipal elections rife with irregularities
On 11 September Russia held its first elections (municipal, regional, and gubernatorial) since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. Opposition candidates were subject to pre-election pressure, and hundreds of violations, including pre-printed ballots, were uncovered by the few domestic monitors able to participate.
Sources: Meduza
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