Russian Journalist Faces Decade in Prison for Bucha Criticism as Crackdown on War Critics Intensifies

A Russian journalist named Sergei Mingazov has been arrested for spreading false information about the military after posting comments on social media regarding Bucha, a city in Ukraine where hundreds of civilian bodies were found following the departure of Russian troops last April. According to his lawyer Konstantin Bubon, who shared this news via Facebook, Mingazov will appear before a court tomorrow and could potentially face imprisonment for ten years if convicted. This arrest is part of Russia’s strict measures against criticism of their war in Ukraine that were implemented shortly after the invasion began last February. These laws criminalize any allegedly false information about the military or statements deemed to discredit it, resulting in numerous individuals being arrested and sentenced to lengthy prison terms as a result. The longest sentence so far has been given to prominent activist Vladimir Kara-Murza who was recently handed down 25 years’ imprisonment by court ruling for these violations of Russia’s legislation pertaining to disinformation regarding military operations in Ukraine.