Russian Journalist Gets 7 Years in Prison for Promoting Terrorism

April 20, 2015

Stomakhin, who pleaded innocent, reportedly called for the bombing of train stations and other terrorist activities.

A Moscow court on Monday sentenced Russian journalist Boris Stomakhin to seven years in prison for promoting terrorism, state media reported.

This is the third time that Stomakhin, editor of the monthly newspaper Radikalnaya Politika (Radical Politics), has been convicted of extremism.

He served about five years for disseminating extremist materials and was released in 2011. Then last April he was sentenced to 6 1/2 years on a similar charge.

His latest sentence — the maximum punishment for individuals convicted of calling for extremist activity through media outlets — takes into account his previous prison terms, state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Stomakhin, who pleaded innocent, reportedly called for the bombing of train stations and other terrorist activities.

Some human rights organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, have questioned the validity of the charges against him, saying he might have been singled out for expressing contentious views about Russian political issues.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue