Scientists and journalists are being charged with treason in Putin’s Russia
Next week, a Russian court will sentence former journalist Ivan Safronov, on trial for treason.
According to the prosecution, Safronov revealed state secrets to foreign intelligence agencies about Russian arms deals. According to Safronov, and independent human rights organizations, he was simply doing his job as a reporter, using open sources and public information.
Ivan Safronov has been in pre-trial detention since July, 2020, already spending over two years effectively imprisoned without access to his family and friends. As a national security issue, Safronov’s alleged treasonous acts fall under particularly draconian statutes. Even so, the Russian state’s actions have been vindictive.
Unprecedented pressure has been put on Safronov's lawyers. One was temporarily held in a detention center, while another is currently in exile in Georgia after he was accused of being a "foreign agent.” On August 30, state prosecutors demanded that Safronov receive an unheard of 24-year sentence for his supposed crime.