MOSCOW: Russian blogger and political activist Maxim Katz was sentenced in absentia to eight years jail Thursday, after he was accused of spreading “fake news” about the Russian army.
Katz, who left Russia after the start of Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine, regularly criticises the conflict in his YouTube channel with over 1.8 million subscribers.
The court in Moscow ruled that Katz, “under the guise of reliable reports”, was guilty of “publicly spreading false information” about the Russian army, the TASS news agency reported.
According to the Rossiyskaya Gazeta government newspaper, the charge was related to a YouTube video from April 2022 where he allegedly accused the army of targeting civilians in Ukraine.
Since unleashing full-scale hostilities against Ukraine a year and a half ago, Moscow has waged an unprecedented crackdown on political dissents, jailing or fining dozens who oppose the conflict.
Katz, who left Russia after the start of Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine, regularly criticises the conflict in his YouTube channel with over 1.8 million subscribers.
The court in Moscow ruled that Katz, “under the guise of reliable reports”, was guilty of “publicly spreading false information” about the Russian army, the TASS news agency reported.
According to the Rossiyskaya Gazeta government newspaper, the charge was related to a YouTube video from April 2022 where he allegedly accused the army of targeting civilians in Ukraine.
Since unleashing full-scale hostilities against Ukraine a year and a half ago, Moscow has waged an unprecedented crackdown on political dissents, jailing or fining dozens who oppose the conflict.