Moscow court jails investigative journalist in absentia

Soldatov, who has authored several books on Russia’s security services, responded to the ruling by saying: “They are trying to silence me, but I will continue my work.”

The sentence was handed down on Monday by the Basmanny District Court. Soldatov, who was designated a “foreign agent” in 2023, shared news of the verdict on Facebook.

The ruling cannot currently be enforced, as Soldatov resides outside Russia. He left the country in 2020 and is now based in London. Since 2022, he has been on Russia’s wanted list, accused of spreading “false information” about the armed forces.

Charges of disseminating “fake news” about the military are frequently used against journalists and critics. In practice, the offence can amount to something as simple as referring to Russia’s actions in Ukraine as a war.

The crackdown on independent journalism has been a central feature of Vladimir Putin’s rule since the early 2000s. However, it intensified sharply following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has since reached unprecedented levels.

Few journalists are as familiar with the inner workings of Russia’s security services as Soldatov. For more than two decades, he has studied the FSB alongside fellow journalist Irina Borogan. Together, they have published several books examining the agency and other security institutions.

Soldatov is co-founder and editor for the website Agentura.ru. 

He has previously worked as a journalist and contributed commentary on terrorism and intelligence matters to a range of Russian media outlets, including Echo of Moscow, Vedomosti, and The Moscow Times.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court has barred Soldatov from administering websites or engaging in any online activity for four years.

In an interview with El País following the ruling, Soldatov said: “This sentence is a clear attempt to silence me and force me to stop working as a journalist. I will continue to do so, no matter what.”