Russia's journalists ' verdict: I'm not afraid to criticize the security forces

The worst fears have not come true: The Russian journalist Svetlana Prokopjewa does not have to six years in prison, as the Prosecutor demanded for. But even the acquittal that journalists had used associations, writers and intellectuals, does not exist. A court in Pskov in Western Russia was, Prokopjewa have made the justification of terrorism guilty, and sentenced to a fine of 500,000 roubles (about 6200 euros).

Reinhard Veser

editor in the policy.

the reason for the charge is a comment Prokopjewas came to a bomb attack of a 17-year-old anarchists on the building of the domestic intelligence service FSB in the Arkhangelsk region in October 2018, when the assassin killed and three secret service employees have been injured. In the Text of the Pskov branch of the radio station Echo of Moscow, which was later published on a website, expressed Prokopjewa the presumption, the repression of peaceful political protest, driving young people to such deeds.

"justification of terrorism"

The Prosecutor's office saw in it a violation of a 2018 has just entered into force, paragraphs, and the justification of terrorism and its ideologies under penalty. As aggravating circumstances, the prosecution of the journalist held, you've written your comment "deliberately" and the fact that he is being heard by as many people as possible and read. Of the defense expert's report submitted to the process of the subject have not been approved by the court on the grounds that they were "subjective character". It had been noted that Prokopjewa had referred to the attack as "monstrous" and "not acceptable solution".