Russia: Moscow Court Sentences Renowned Ukrainian TV Presenter Maria Efrosinina to Seven Years in Absentia
The Coalition For Women In Journalism denounces Russia’s attempts to harass Ukrainian journalists by issuing sentencings
Location: Russia, Moscow
Date: September 15, 2023
Ukrainian TV presenter convicted of spreading military "fakes" motivated by political hatred in absentia by a court in Moscow. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the absurd sentencing and demands an end to the Kremlin’s crackdown on journalists in Russia and beyond.
On September 15, 2023, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow sentenced Ukrainian TV presenter Maria Efrosinina in absentia to seven years in prison. She was convicted of “disseminating knowingly false information about the use of the Armed Forces motivated by political, ideological, and national hatred."
This law, introduced in March 2022, provides possible jail terms of up to fifteen years for people who publish “fake” information about Russia’s military.
The court also banned the Crimean journalist from managing internet pages for three years.
The case against Efrosinina was launched in April 2022 after she posted about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Instagram. She was added to Russia’s wanted list in March 2023, an intimidation tactic authorities use against Ukrainian journalists. Yanina Sokolova, a Ukrainian television host, was added to the list in August. The Kremlin has also blacklisted numerous foreign journalists from the country due to their war coverage.
Efrosinina, a well-known figure in Ukrainian television who currently works with Novyi Kanal, expressed happiness about her sentencing in a social media post. She says she will continue to speak the truth about Russia’s crimes against Ukraine.
This is not the first time Russian authorities have sentenced journalists in absentia for social media posts. Earlier this year, Russian food blogger Veronika Belotserkovskaya was sentenced to nine years in absentia, charged with spreading "fake" information about the military after an Instagram social post. The renowned food author left Russia before the charges were brought against her and is living in exile in France. Her assets were seized by Russian authorities, including property in Moscow and St. Petersburg worth over 2 million US dollars.
The Kremlin has also imprisoned journalists in Russia for “violating the law.” In February, Siberian journalist Maria Ponomarenko was charged and is currently serving a six-year prison sentence for a post she made about civilian deaths after the Russian bombing of the Ukrainian city Mariupol.
These cases highlight the troubling state of press freedom in Russia. The Kremlin's efforts to silence dissenting voices have reached alarming heights, targeting journalists and media professionals inside and outside for reporting the truth. The Coalition For Women In Journalism denounces Maria Efrosinina’s sentencing and calls on the Russian government to stop weaponizing terrorism and fake news legislation to target critical journalists.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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