A court in Russia’s Altai Republic sentenced journalist Sergei Mikhailov to 8 years in prison for spreading “false information” about the Russian army’s invasion of Ukraine. The journalist was initially detained in the spring of 2022 in Lyubertsy, near Moscow..

The court sentenced Sergei Mikhailov to eight years in general regime colony, a four-year ban on journalistic and publishing activities and the administration of internet resources. 

The journalist does not admit guilt. “I strongly disagree with this accusation. And all these years I have been writing what I consider to be the truth, albeit bitter, but out of love for people, and not at all because of hatred for certain political figures,” he said, according to Russian media.

The journalist’s speech in court criticized the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine, framing it as an act of aggression fueled by lies and propaganda. He described the conflict as a tragic consequence of Russia’s refusal to accept Ukraine’s independence, likening it to an abusive relationship where one party refuses to let go. 

“We are being convinced that this is not a war, but a special military operation … but people should be encouraged to defeat lies! In the fight against lies, art has always won, always wins,” he declared in his speech. 

In his final words to the court, the publisher called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” and implored Russians not to be deceived by lies so that they do not become murderers and victims.