Russian oppositionist Ilya Yashin sentenced to 8½ years in prison for "fake news" about Russian Armed Forces

Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin has been sentenced to eight and a half years’ imprisonment in a medium-security penal colony by the Meshchansky court in Moscow.

Source: [Latvia-based Russian media outlet] Meduza

Details: Yashin has been convicted on charges of spreading "fake news" about the Russian Armed Forces.

The court also banned him from using the Internet for four years. The public prosecutor had called for a nine-year prison sentence.

The case against Yashin was brought because of a live-streamed video in which he spoke about the killing of civilians in Bucha (Kyiv Oblast) during the Russian occupation.

According to the prosecution, the politician spread "deliberately false information" for "motives of political hatred", although he "knew" that Russia was taking measures "to maintain peace and security".

Yashin was arrested for the "fake news" in mid-July. He pleaded not guilty.

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