Amnesty International demands the immediate and unconditional release of Roman Ivanov, a journalist from Korolev, Moscow Oblast, who is on trial for charges of "public dissemination of knowingly false information about the use of Russian Armed Forces abroad committed with the motive of political hatred or enmity" (Article 207.3(2) (d)). If convicted, Ivanov could face up to 10 years in prison.
Ivanov denied the charges and said in court that he had been under pressure from the authorities since 2020 because of his work as a journalist.
Amnesty International has reviewed the evidence in Ivanov's case and concluded that he is being prosecuted solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression and for carrying out his work as a journalist. He is a prisoner of conscience.
Roman Ivanov is a journalist for the independent Russian news website RusNews. He was arrested on April 11, 2023, on charges of spreading "fake news" about the Russian military. The charges stem from three social media posts Ivanov made about the war in Ukraine, including one about alleged Russian war crimes.
In February 2023, another RusNews journalist, Maria Ponomarenko, was sentenced to six years in prison on a charge of distributing "fake news" for writing about Russian troops involved in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Ivanov's arrest is part of a wider crackdown on independent media in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. In March 2022, Russia passed a law that criminalizes the dissemination of "fake news" about the military, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Since then, dozens of journalists have been arrested or charged under the law, and many independent news outlets have been forced to shut down.
Human rights groups have condemned Ivanov's arrest and trial as politically motivated. Amnesty International has called him a prisoner of conscience and demanded his immediate release. The Committee to Protect Journalists has also called for the charges against Ivanov to be dropped
