A Russian court on Monday sentenced a former journalist to 22 years in prison for treason after prosecutors said he disclosed state secrets, a ruling his supporters said was an unduly harsh punishment that showed the absence of media freedom in Russia.
Ivan Safronov, a former defense reporter for the Kommersant and Vedomosti newspapers, turned adviser to the head of Russia's space agency, was arrested in 2020 and accused of disclosing classified information.
Safronov's lawyers told the RIA Novosti news agency they would appeal the verdict.
His supporters say the case is retribution for his reporting, which exposed details of Russia's international arms deals.
"Everybody close to Safronov believes the charge of treason is absurd," journalist Katerina Gordeeva said after interviewing his mother, sister, and former colleagues for a documentary about the case.
Human rights lawyer Pavel Chikov said the sentence was a "savage, demonstratively cruel punishment, corresponding to the current state of Russia." He said he could not find any examples of any treason cases leading to such a lengthy sentence, let alone against a journalist.
Ahead of the sentencing, the European Union called on Russia to drop all charges against Safronov, 32, and release him unconditionally.
Prosecutors said Safronov shared state secrets about Russia's arms sales in the Middle East to the Czech Republic's foreign intelligence arm. He has denied the charges throughout and last month rejected a plea deal that would have seen him serve a 12-year prison sentence.
His arrest in July 2020 sparked an outcry from Russian journalists, including at state-run outlets.
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