Russia: Russian-US Journalist Masha Gessen Sentenced to 8 Years in Absentia
Women Press Freedom denounces absurd conviction of Gessen, targeted for speaking out on Russian military atrocities in Ukraine
Location: Russia, Moscow
Date: July 15, 2024
Russian-US journalist and author Masha Gessen was convicted in absentia by a Moscow court on charges of spreading false information about the military. Gessen, known for their critical stance against President Vladimir Putin, was sentenced to eight years in prison. The award-winning journalist, who holds dual US-Russian citizenship, lived in Russia until 2013, leaving after the country enacted stringent anti-LGBTQI laws. They have since resided in the United States, continuing their work from abroad. Women Press Freedom strongly condemns the conviction and sentencing of Masha Gessen. The charges are baseless, stemming from an interview where Gessen mentioned the atrocities committed by the Russian army in Bucha. Russia’s targeting of journalists, both domestically and internationally, must be loudly denounced by the international community and all who uphold freedom of expression and press freedom. We demand all charges against Gessen be dropped and the Kremlin immediately cease its persecution of the journalist, whose reporting on Russia has long exposed the ruthless and callous nature of Putin and his regime.
On July 15, 2024, the Basmanny district court in Moscow convicted journalist Masha Gessen of spreading false news about the Russian army, sentencing them to eight years in absentia.
Gessen, a Moscow-born journalist and an outspoken critic of Putin’s government is a staff writer for the New Yorker and a columnist for the New York Times. They were first indicted last August and added to Russia’s wanted list in December 2023.
The criminal charges against Gessen relate to their interview with Russian blogger Yury Dud, where they discussed atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha. The interview, which has garnered over 6.5 million views on YouTube since its release in September 2022, mentioned the discovery of at least 400 bodies in Bucha, including men, women, and children, following the withdrawal of Russian forces.
Russian authorities have vehemently denied any involvement in the Bucha atrocities, maintaining that their military operations in Ukraine exclusively target legitimate military objectives. However, independent investigations and reports have documented numerous civilian casualties and signs of torture in Bucha, challenging the official Russian stance.
Gessen's statements in the interview were deemed to spread false information about the Russian army, a charge that falls under a law passed shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that criminalizes public expressions that contradict the Kremlin's narrative. This law has been used extensively to silence critics, journalists, and anti-war protesters. Last year, Siberian journalist Maria Ponomarenko was charged under the same legislation, she is currently serving a six-year prison sentence in poor conditions in a penal colony. The Kremlin has also repeatedly used this military censorship law to harass and convict journalists in exile. This tactic is part of the Russian government’s larger strategy to target and silence journalists and activists who continue to speak out after leaving the country.
The conviction of Masha Gessen is just the latest example of the Russian government's relentless efforts to muzzle dissent and control the narrative about its actions in Ukraine. By sentencing Gessen to eight years in absentia for discussing documented atrocities in Bucha, the Kremlin aims to intimidate and suppress journalists and critics everywhere. Women Press Freedom condemns this unjust conviction and demands all charges against Gessen be dismissed. Russia’s persistent use of laws against "false information" to target truth-tellers shows a clear strategy to quash free speech and independent journalism. Governments, media organizations, and human rights advocates must condemn the Kremlin’s actions and support journalists who continue to report the truth despite the consequences. Immediate action is needed to defend press freedom, support exiled journalists and ensure that voices like Gessen's are not silenced.
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